Abstract
The Russian Far East has, since Gorbachev, been used in foreign-policy discourse as a tool to access the integrative processes of the Asia-Pacific. However, vulnerability, symbolised by the border with China and the asymmetry of the Sino–Russian economic relationship, highlights the geopolitical andgeoeconomic implications of engagement with the Asia-Pacific. The ‘modernisation’ agenda, which became a leitmotiv of the Medvedev administration, focused attention on the challenges ofdevelopment in this region, but development within this agenda tends to be based on the most optimistic scenarios, and development plans for the border areas are heavily geared towards China. Integration with the Asia-Pacific is often advocated as a means of escaping economic dependence on China, but approaches and strategies remain overly politicised.
PDF