Аннотация: Thank you, Prikhodko! A political version.
Thank you, Prikhodko! A political version.
Everyone knows Sergei Eduardovich Prikhodko (January 12, 1957 - January 26, 2021).
What are his achievements? What are his success stories?
You can read his biography: both on Wikipedia or the others versions... (https://tass.ru/info/10546357)
He supervised issues of international cooperation ...
So, what are Prikhodko's achievements and victories?
To answer these questions, I will consider the foreign policy sphere in a hypothetical way.
To consider once again the achievements of Russia in the North (in the Arctic), in the West, in the South-West, in the South, in the South-East, in the East?
Let's move aside everything small, everything that is one centimeter from the funny ...
Let's not analyze the second row of main issues, although they are very costly for the finances of Russia and its people ...
Let's move on to the largest, most important, major foreign policy achievements.
My hypothesis is based on a number of assumptions and looks like this.
Modern Russia is rich in all sorts of incidents and poor in real achievements. Therefore, with such fanfare and with such readiness they talk about hypersonic missiles, huge harvests, the world's first vaccine and other pleasant things.
If we agree with this thesis, then in this case we will have to pay attention to the absence of any victorious reports regarding the results of trade between Russia and China.
From vague hints and not-understandable words, one can conclude that Russia's trade with China is economically unprofitable for Russia.
If so, then all products sent from Russia to China should be divided into two parts. The first part is products paid for at more or less market "fair" prices. The second part is a kind of "surplus" left without proper payment.
If unprofitable trade is continuing for several years, then, therefore, we can talk not about a coincidence, but about politics.
If there is politics, what is its essence?
Let us assume that foreign policy is a continuation of domestic policy.
If there are such elements in domestic politics as a loyalty, a tribute, a favour, then why can't these elements be in foreign policy?
The "surplus" left without proper payment becomes a tribute.
But you don't need to smear the word "tribute" with black paint.
A loyal customer paying tribute to the patron gets some preferences in return.
What can Russia get from China?
In theory, she can get a lot from China.
For example:
1. Support in the Security Council and at meetings of the UN General Assembly, in other international organizations,
2. Relative security and conditional calmness on the huge border with China,
3. Observance of decency on the part of China in the process of its penetration into the Russian Far East. The general public is not aware of any precise official figures characterizing China's presence in the Russian Far East; maybe these numbers are somewhere - but where ?; once a journalist asked the Foreign Minister of Russia Lavrov about the number of Chinese citizens in the Russian Far East, but he did not receive a clear answer ... There are no exact official figures (among the general public), but you must admit that there are no noisy scandals either - so, the sides are trying to observe decency ...
And what? Russia pays (transfers goods) ... Russia receives certain benefits ...
Thank you, Prikhodko!
January 26, 2021 16:07
Translation from Russian into English: January 26, 2021 21:52.
Владимир Владимирович Залесский 'Спасибо Приходько!'.