Op-Ed Contributors

Theirs is still an uncertain future

By Wang Yusheng (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-08-03 08:02

The problem is that by hiding its capabilities and biding its time, Russia aims to regain its status as a great power and traditional geopolitical influence.

It has demarcated the "red line" of its "core national interests". But despite adopting a soft tone, the US will not allow any country to challenge its strategic aim of winning back its role as the world leader.

Over the past year and half, Obama and Hillary Clinton have been making every effort to "renew the US leadership" and seized every opportunity to reiterate their aim. Hence, the deep-rooted contradictions between the US and Russia on the strategic level will restrict the advancement of bilateral ties.

It is thus ironical that before Medvedev's visit to the US, the American mainstream media made a big show of Russia's confidential report in order to mold public opinion that the Russian president was "inclined to strengthen Moscow-Washington ties".

The differences, however, came to the fore soon after Medvedev's visit as the US claimed to have busted a Russian spy ring and shifted the spotlight on Moscow's Committee for State Security (KGB).

This threw the already alert Russians into action, and they did whatever was expected of them to do.

Now some international observers say the US moves were "elaborately arranged" and followed up with concerted actions from some pro-America groups inside Russia.

The effort is to drive a wedge between Russian leaders and break the "Medvedev-Putin bond".

So, will US-Russian ties progress smoothly? It's anybody's guess!

The author is executive director of the Strategy Research Center of China International Studies Research Fund.

(China Daily 08/03/2010 page9)