Is THIS Russia’s daring secret plan to completely destroy China?
RUSSIAN ideologue Aleksandr Dugin has written a book “Foundations of Geopolitics” which some believe has been used as a textbook in the Russian General Staff Academy.
A 1997 book may detail a Russian plan to destroy China but an expert dismisses it A 1997 book may detail a Russian plan to destroy China but an expert dismisses it
The book has a section that deals with a plan to take over neighbouring China. Mr Dugin’s book says the plan must start off with less sparsely populated Chinese Provinces such as Xinjiang and Tibet before moving on to Manchuria, having earlier said Mongolia should be taken over, this would create a buffer zone between the two powers. The book has not been translated from the original Russian yet, but one unofficial translation says it says China “must, to the maximum degree possible, be dismantled.”
Dugin even suggests offering Beijing geopolitical compensation in Cambodia, Laos, the Philippines, Indonesia and Australia.
However, one expert, Steve Sestanovich, a professor at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, has dismissed the chances of conflict breaking out between Moscow and Beijing: “Dugin’s ideas about China from the 1990s reflect Russian unease at living so close to a dynamic and powerful neighbour, but they do not in any way reflect contemporary Russian policy toward China.
“For Putin, close alignment with China has been a major strategic success, taking some of the sting out of his estrangement from the West. A falling-out between Russia and China would be a gigantic setback for him.”
Mr Dugin is said to have strong links with both the Russian military and Kremlin.
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Mr Sestanovich, however, plays down the influence he might have in modern Russian politics: “Don’t exaggerate Dugin’s influence. For some people in the national-security elite, his nationalist ideas are a nice fit with their own preferences. But they don’t turn to him for policy specifics. Who would? If you’re a Russian general, you probably know a little about Dugin, but parroting his proposals at a meeting is likely to mark you as a crack pot.”
Indeed, Vladimir Putin has been awarded the Order of Friendship by Xi Jinping, China’s highest order of honour.
Mr Xi was similarly warded Knight of the Order of Saint Andrew, the highest honour of the Russian Federation.
Moscow and Beijing are considered to be allies and share similar positions on a number of geopolitical issues.
Both have continued historic support for the Syrian Government and support the regime of Bashar al-Assad.
Despite both countries being Communist during the Cold War, the mid-1950s saw the Sino-Soviet split.
After Nikita Khrushchev denounced Joseph Stalin, the policy divergence of the USSR and People’s Republic of China moved away with Chairman Mao describing the Soviets as “revisionist traitors”, both countries then competed to be the leading figure for global communism.
The rise to power of Deng Xiaoping in China who opened up China to foreign investment and reform and modernise Beijing following Mr Mao’s death and the end of the Cultural Revolution, reflecting in the Soviet Union with Perestroika policies, signalled the end of the Sino-Soviet split.