Russia turning more towards China and the East

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping

Not satisfied with the issues from the West, Russia is taking steps towards the East:

May 06, 2015

Western leaders are boycotting a massive military victory parade in Moscow this week that commemorates the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II because of Russia’s actions in Ukraine. But many Asian leaders, including China’s President Xi Jinping, will be attending – underscoring how Russia is looking East as tensions with the West increase.

Political analysts say Russia’s “turn to the east” is more for economic than ideological reasons.

“The military parade in Moscow on May 9th, known in Russia as the Victory Day, is definitely one of the most significant symbols for Putin right now to boost his legitimacy at home and to show that he’s not alone,” said Alexander Gabuev, head of the Russia in the Asia Pacific Program at the Carnegie Center Moscow.

Gabuev said Western support for Ukraine’s popular Maidan uprising that led to the downfall of Russia-backed President Viktor Yanukovych, was seen by the Kremlin as interference in its sphere of influence.

“There is a deep mistrust,” he said. “And, though Russia, Russian elite or Russian people still see themselves as part of the European civilization, I would say the ruling elite is trying to position Russia as the major non-western or non-U.S. power in the world in [an] ideological sense.”

He added that “it probably more or less resembles what the Soviet Union tried to do-just to present itself as an alternative to the western narrative and the western system.”

Snubbing West risky

The West’s turning its back on Russia leaves Moscow with mainly undemocratic and communist regimes as allies a sign of Russia’s revival as an authoritarian state, argued historian Andrei Zubov. “Right now Russia, China, North Korea and a number of countries adjoining them are creating an anti-liberal pact, anti-western pact, anti-democratic pact, and this is alarming,” he said.

Moscow was set to host North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for his first foreign trip before it was cancelled due to “internal Korea” issues.

But economic relations are growing fast since Pyongyang settled its Soviet-era debt. The two sides declared 2015 “a year of friendship” and could reach a trade goal of $1 billion by 2020, said Vitaly Survillo, head of a new Russia-North Korea business council.

“If all the projects that exist, and that are set, will take place, particularly the railways projects, as well as electricity grids, we could probably reach it, in theory. How it will be in practice, depends on how this or that project is implemented,” Survillo explained.

Right now, it is much less than that, and North Korea has even greater interest than Russia in stepping up bilateral trade because they exist in isolation, he said.

“In fact, the volume of trade with North Korea leaves much to be desired,” he added. “It is insignificant, but it has been growing fast during the last few years, 2013, 2014. And we hope that it develops in the same way this year.”

China-Russia relationship

While South Korea joined China in abstaining from sanctions against Russia, it is the Moscow-Beijing dynamic in the East that is gaining most importance, said Gabuev.

“And with the relationship with the U.S. treaty, allies like Japan and South Korea also in a very difficult, problematic situation, there is only one large partner-China. And, the longer we have this confrontation between Russia and the West,” he said, “the more significant the relationship between Russia and China will get.”

Last year, as the West enforced economic sanctions against Russia, Beijing and Moscow signed a $400 billion deal on natural gas. This week, the most anticipated East Asian leader attending the Victory Day parade is Chinese President Xi Jinping

While the Ukraine crisis has made Russia’s turn to China more significant, its renewed interest in its former cohort in communism, pre-dates tensions with the West, Gabuev said.

“The real origin starts after the global credit crunch in 2008/2009 when Russia’s GDP dip was the largest among G20 countries and China still continued to grow at the average pace of about 8 percent per year and Russia realized that there are untapped market opportunities and untapped sources of capital for its domestic growth and that large, uninhabited regions of Siberia and the far-east really need this Asia connection to get these economic opportunities,” he said.

Celebrating Victory Day

Turning to the East makes sense as Russia is an eastern country, said car salesman Ivan Karpov. “I’m not an expert on geopolitics, but we shouldn’t forget that we are a country that stretches from Europe to the Pacific,” he noted. “There are more of us in Asia than in Europe. So I don’t know why Russia is compared with Europe and the West.”

Law student, Ivan Makarov said Russia’s growing ties with China are not surprising. “We have good historical ties with China, our communist past and theirs. And since we’re not receiving any support from the West, due to current events, why not turn our attention to the East?” he stated. “Especially since it’s politically and economically profitable.”

Zubov noted, with a degree of optimism, that during Putin’s first years in power he referred to Russia as a western, European state that must be together with the Western world. Zubov holds out hope that “Russia will turn to the way of ties with the West.”

Russian economy

President Putin, while trying rhetorically to present Russia as an alternative to western power and ideology, is focused on economics.

At a November Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Beijing, Putin said, “Russia’s location in Eurasia determines its role as a major factor for bringing Western and Eastern civilizations closer together, and we therefore want to strengthen our relations with all Asia-Pacific region countries and play an active part in building a free trade system and in economic and investment cooperation.”

Despite political tensions, Russia’s trade ties with the West are not expected to take a back seat to Asia’s any time soon.

The European Union remains Russia’s largest trade partner, accounting for about half of all Russian trade. http://www.voanews.com/content/russias-turn-to-the-east-more-economic-than-ideological/2752514.html

The Bible indicates that Russia will keep its relationship with the European part of the West.

However, that will someday fall apart and Russia will be part of a confederation of the East (cf. Daniel 11:44).

Until that time, expect Russia to make deals with eastern nations, like China.

The following prophecy, in my view, shows a confederation including Russia (“people from the north”) and Asian nations like China (one of the “kings…from the ends of the earth”), against Europe (called the “daughter” and “king of Babylon” below):

50:41 “Behold, a people shall come from the north,
And a great nation and many kings
Shall be raised up from the ends of the earth.
42 They shall hold the bow and the lance;
They are cruel and shall not show mercy.
Their voice shall roar like the sea;
They shall ride on horses,
Set in array, like a man for the battle,
Against you, O daughter of Babylon.

43 “The king of Babylon has heard the report about them,
And his hands grow feeble;
Anguish has taken hold of him,
Pangs as of a woman in childbirth…”(Jeremiah 50:41-43).

The above is also consistent with the following from the New Testament:

12 Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. 13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. 15 Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.” 16 And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon (Revelation 16:12-16).

Here we see that the kings of the East are those that need to cross the Euphrates. Russia, China, India, Japan, and others are from the north and east and also probably “kings of the East.”

Some forget that although Russia is a nation of the far north (cf. Ezekiel 38:3,6), it is also a nation that has parts in the far, far, east.

Russia is prophesied to work with the East militarily against the European West. Snubs by the West of Russia, and turning of Russia towards the East are partial foundation steps for this to come to pass.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Russia and Ukraine: Their Origins and Prophesied Future Russia in prophecy. Where do the Russians come from? What about those in the Ukraine? What is prophesied for Russia and its allies? What will they do to the Europeans that supported the Beast in the end? There is also a video sermon available: Russia in the Bible and in Prophecy and a video sermonette available: Ukraine in Prophecy?
Is Russia the King of the North? Some claim it is. But what does the Bible teach? Here is a link to a video, also titled Is Russia the King of the North?
Ezekiel 38: For Russia & Iran in Our Day? Is Ezekiel 38 about to be fulfilled? A related video is available titled Ezekiel 38: For Russia, Ukraine, & Iran Now?
12 Apocalyptic Risks from Oxford University Oxford University’s Future of Humanity Institute and the Global Challenges Foundation issued a 212 page report titled “12 Risks that threaten human civilisation.” The Russian Times reported about it with an article titled The article was titled, “12 likely causes of the Apocalypse, as seen by scientists.” Risks included asteroid impact, supervolacanic explosion, global pandemic, nuclear war,climate change, synthetic biology, nanotechnology, unknown consequences, ecological collapse, economic global system collapse, bad governance, and artificial intelligence flaws. Are the risks greater than what Oxford scientists believe? What does the Bible say about these risks?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2015, 2016, or 2017? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Who are the 144,000? Here is a version of the article in the Spanish language: ¿Puede comenzar la Gran Tribulación en 2014 o 2015? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language sermon video: The Great Tribulation from the Mount of Olives.
World War III: Steps in Progress Are there surprising actions going on now that are leading to WWIII? Might a nuclear attack be expected? Does the Bible promise protection to all or only some Christians? How can you be part of those that will be protected? A related video would be Is World War III About to Begin? Can You Escape?
Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? Is an emerging European power “the daughter of Babylon”? What is ahead for Europe? Here is a link to a video titled: Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European?
European Technology and the Beast of Revelation Will the coming European Beast power would use and develop technology that will result in the taking over of the USA and its Anglo-Saxon allies? Is this possible? What does the Bible teach? Here is a related YouTube video: Military Technology and the Beast of Revelation.
Must the Ten Kings of Revelation 17:12 Rule over Ten Currently Existing Nations? Some claim that these passages refer to a gathering of 10 currently existing nations together, while one group teaches that this is referring to 11 nations getting together. Is that what Revelation 17:12-13 refers to? The ramifications of misunderstanding this are enormous. A related sermon is titled Ten Kings of Revelation and the Great Tribulation.
The Eurasian Union, the Kings of the East, and Bible Prophecy Is there a Eurasian union that will be formed? Is one being formed right now? Are any leaders working on that in the 21st century? Does the Bible teach that there will be a Eurasian union? If some type of Eurasian union is formed, who might it benefit and who will it destroy? A related video would be Is The Eurasian Union Rising?