CRI：Russia Eyes Far East to be a Real World Power: Experts

Source：China Radio International , (CRI)

Original link：http://english.cri.cn/7146/2012/09/04/2702s720484.htm

Russia has selected its Far Eastern city of Vladivostok, instead of a major city like Moscow or St. Petersburg, to host this year's APEC summit.

As CRI's Su Yi reports, the move is designed to reassert Russia's strategy to develop the Far East, which is believed to be a key aspect in its pursuit towards a real world power.

It takes nine hours to fly from Vladivostok, the largest city in Russia's Far East, to Moscow – and if by train, a whole week.

Rich in natural resources but largely under-developed, the Far East region makes up a third of the country's territory, but only has a population of some 6 million.

Viktor Ishayev, Minister for the Development of the Russian Far East, said ahead of the APEC summit in Vladivostok that the growth of the region is a key if Russia wants to be better integrated with other Asia-Pacific economies.

Xing Guangcheng is a Russian-studies expert with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

"The message that Russia wants to convey to the international community this time is that Russia wants to play a more important role in the Asia-Pacific. Besides, "to the East" has always been its strategic focus."

Feng Shaolei, director of the Russian Studies Center at East China Normal University, echoes this view, saying the Asia-Pacific is important for Russia's global strategy.

"Many Russian experts recognize if Russia wants to become a world power again, not only should it depend on Europe but also depend on Asia."

Xing Guangcheng says the unbalance between the east and the west of Russia is a major hinder in its efforts to become a real world power.

"To be a stronger and wealthier country, Russia must have an integrate development strategy. A major world player is not supposed to have such a huge regional disparity between the east and west."

The Putin administration stated in a regional development strategy paper in 2009 that the region should at least reach the national average level of economic and social development by the year of 2025.

To realize this, Russia specifically designated a government department for the development of the region in May.

The Russian government also sees the thriving Asian economy, including its cross-border trade with China's northeast as an important factor in this strategy.

Russian-studies expert Xing Guangcheng says it is not going very well, due to the unbalanced economic condition between the two sides.

"Both the macro and micro economic environment of the Far East is far from perfect. Basic infrastructure lags behind. Law system is not mature. Also the theory of China being a threat has been a bad influence."

Xing says the two sides are working on it as they are eyeing to raise their total bilateral trade to 100 billion US dollars by 2020.