A Study On The Russian Policy Towards South Asia After The Cold War

South Asia region is made up of the South Asian subcontinent and its adjacent islands, which includes seven countries and regions. Customarily the South Asian subcontinent is called South Asia region. The South Asian subcontinent owns very important strategic status. In terms of geographical location, South Asia region is the central part of the crescent-shaped zone on the edge of the Euro-Asia Continent, which links Middle East and Southeast Asia, and is near the oil-producing area in the Persian Gulf and the transport channel in Indian Ocean. Geographically, South Asia region is just below the south of Russia, which is a natural channel from Russia to Indian Ocean. South Asia region has always been significant in Russian foreign strategy, which is greatly influenced by the idea of geographical politics, and once became a major place where US and USSR competed. After the Cold War, the international political pattern has enormously changed and the Russian geographical strategic sphere has been continuously pressed. Viewing the fact that the power of the country has decreased and its western-friendly policy, Russia had ever neglected the affairs in South Asia, and the status of South Asia in Russian diplomacy also declined. From 1993, Russian began to adjust its foreign strategies, and implemented the"double-edged diplomacy"towards the East and the West alike. The nation's benefits should be defended and the position as a large nation should be adjusted. The status and function of South Asia in the global strategy should be rediscovered and the policy towards South Asia has been adjusted gradually. After the 9·11, the importance of South Asia region in America's international anti-terrorism strategy revealed. US began to pay attention to the geographical strategic status of South Asia, and continuously adjusted its foreign policies towards the major countries in South Asia, such as India and Pakistan, which objectively stimulated and escalated Russia's reconsideration of the foreign policy towards South Asian countries and Russia's reorientation of its strategy in South Asia. Fundamentally, preserving the peace and stability in South Asia region perfectly suits Russia's strategic interests, and the development of the relationship with South Asia countries is a significant step in Russia's foreign policy in pursuing the balance between the East and the West. This paper will begin from the changes in the world geographical political pattern and the international situation, and proceed to the important strategic status of South Asia. The paper can be divided into five chapters:Chapter one is the general overview. The first section mainly discusses the important strategic status and function of South Asia region, and puts forward the thesis of why we should study Russia's policy towards South Asia and what place South Asia takes in the foreign policy of Russia. Next, the historical evolution influenced by geographical politics and the Russia's policy towards South Asia are reviewed and rearranged, with the focus on the period from the end of WWII to the disintegration of the Soviet Union. Section three starts from the changes in the international environment and the international relation pattern, and analyses the adjustments in the foreign policies of America, Japan and major countries in South Asia. The inexorable law that the formulation of foreign policy depends on the power of the nation and the evaluation of the nation's interests is revealed.Chapter two mainly analyzes the development and evolution of the Russian foreign policy towards South Asia after the Cold War. Through reviewing and summarizing the foreign policies towards South Asia adopted by the three succeeding presidents after the Cold War, by means of case analysis, comparative analysis and historical analysis, the motivation of Russia's adjusting foreign policy towards South Asia is generalized, in order to study the independent variable, the induced variable and the tampering variable and the relationship among these three.Chapter three discusses the Russian economic policy towards South Asia after the Cold War. Though the analysis of the cooperation in economic and commercial science and technology, energy and war industry, it is pointed that pursuing the economic interest is one of the foundations of the Russian policy towards South Asia. Whether the further cooperation in the background of the global financial crisis, such as the mode of the Four Gold Brick Countries can be the hope of the future or the effective way to get rid of the crisis is judged and predicted.Chapter four discusses the Russian military policy towards South Asia after the Cold War, which in fact is the fusion of the traditional security concept and the new security concept in 21st century. The traditional military security concept is long lasting, such as the joint military exercises and the cooperation in the sphere of defense. However, in the background of multipolarity, in terms of the military security, with the change in the international relation pattern and the enhancement of the standard of science and technology, the nations will be more cautious in choosing the way of battle to solve the disagreement. Active defense, cooperative security, nuclear threat and preventive diplomacy will become the major strategic alternative. After the 9·11, South Asia region functioned greatly in the global anti-terrorism strategy due to its special geographical location. Reasoned as anti-terrorism, Russia intends to improve its relationship with the western countries. Meanwhile, Taliban is attacked in the war of anti-terrorism, and Russia's influence on Afghanistan is maintained. Therefore, anti-terrorism has become the theme in the bilateral relationship between Russia and Pakistan. Though Russia has already collaborated with the South Asia region in the field of energy, the rapid growing up of India has already alarmed Russia. At the same time, Russia should also consider the uncertainty in the usage of nuclear power in South Asia region and the risk of nuclear competition. The relevant factors influencing the Russian policy towards South Asia are pointed out in chapter five, of which the stability of the foreign policy is a major one. And the adjustment of other major countries'strategy towards South Asia should not be overlooked. In addition, the traditional problem existing in South Asia, i.e, the conflict between India and Pakistan and the competition for the hegemonic position will influence the formulation and the implementation of Russia's policy towards South Asia. How to deal with the complicated multilateral relationship in South Asia is also a problem in front of Russia.The study on Russian policy towards South Asia is significant in the evaluation of China's security and the geographical political environment. Russia is one of the most important neighboring countries to China and most of the South Asian countries are adjacent to China. Therefore, the tendency of Russian policy towards South Asia influences the stability in South Asia region and further influences the security and stability of the area surrounding China. India and Pakistan are the major countries in South Asia. After the Cold War, India intended to become a large and powerful nation, with the emphasis on its significant status and the right of speech in South Asia and the UN Security Council. What's more, Russia and China are strategic cooperative partners, Russia and India are strategic partners, and India and China are constructive cooperative partners. There are also disagreements existing among Russia, India and China besides the cooperation, such as territory issue and border dispute etc. The essence and developing tendency of Russian policy towards South Asia greatly influence the adjustment of Chinese foreign policy. Therefore, China has to pay attention to the fact and the future trend of Russian policy towards South Asia, with a clear understanding and judgment.