China and Russia -- the two neighboring major powers that have been at odds for decades -- have begun building relations of lasting friendship. The signing last week of a treaty for this purpose will have a significant bearing on the future of Northeast Asia as well as the world at large. The new friendship treaty reflects not only the improving relations between the two nations in the post-Cold War decade but also their shared distaste for what they perceive as U.S. hegemony.
The Treaty of Good-Neighborly and Friendly Cooperation was signed in Moscow last Monday by Chinese President Jiang Zemin and Russian President Vladimir Putin. It highlighted the second summit meeting between the two leaders this year, and two more are planned before the year is out.
The new treaty follows one that was signed by Soviet leader Josef Stalin and Chinese Communist ruler Mao Zedong in 1950. Coming into force shortly after the Communist takeover of China, the previous treaty was a military alliance. In the 1950 alliance, the Soviet Union was the dominant partner; this unequal partnership was basically responsible for eroding the bonds of the treaty, which eventually led to a border war between the two nations in 1969. This time, however, China is by de facto the dominant partner with its rapidly developing economic strength and military power, which stand in sharp contrast to Russia's decline in both these critical fields. This reality in itself is an important reason for Russia to maintain good relations with China.