That’s one way to spin losing access to the two largest, richest markets in the world.
If those markets demostrate such a level of hostility compared to China, is it worth it?
It did not end up well for them the last time the iron curtains were drawn
I don’t think there is a clean comparison here since the historical context is significantly different. The PRC is much more developed and stable than the USSR or 50s era PRC was. History also would have turned out much differently if the USSR and PRC didn’t split in the 60s. In my opinion that was what really put them on the path to their economic troubles in the 80s, obviously the Iron Curtain was probably the larger factor overall, but that is to be expected in the political climate of the time.
I’m not sure being dependent on China is good for Russia either They’re basically now just the mining and resource supplier with no competition to up whatever price China wants to pay them.
For the moment they are dependent on China, but China has a vested interest in fostering that relationship rather than exploiting it, I would say. They are much stronger together than divided, and they surely can both recognize this from recent history.
If those markets demostrate such a level of hostility compared to China, is it worth it?
I don’t think there is a clean comparison here since the historical context is significantly different. The PRC is much more developed and stable than the USSR or 50s era PRC was. History also would have turned out much differently if the USSR and PRC didn’t split in the 60s. In my opinion that was what really put them on the path to their economic troubles in the 80s, obviously the Iron Curtain was probably the larger factor overall, but that is to be expected in the political climate of the time.
For the moment they are dependent on China, but China has a vested interest in fostering that relationship rather than exploiting it, I would say. They are much stronger together than divided, and they surely can both recognize this from recent history.