Mending Fences: The Evolution of Moscow's China Policy from Brezhnev to Yeltsin (review)

Mending Fences, by Elizabeth Wishnick, noted expert on Russia and China, is an impressive historical study and a very relevant, comprehensive, and thought-provoking book. It is relevant because despite impressive accomplishments in bilateral relations in the last decade Moscow and Beijing continue to harbor suspicions toward each other while the United States remains apprehensive about the consequences for its own strategic interests of the Russo-Chinese rapprochement. The book is comprehensive in trying to look at both theoretical and empirical issues underlying the evolution of Russia's relations with China from the 1960s to the 1990s. Finally, the author poses new questions and contemplates different scenarios for relations between Russia and China in the future. The book is intended to stimulate rather than put an end to debate on the substance and direction of these relations. This honest, balanced, and innovative discussion of the history of relations between Moscow and Beijing should certainly help readers understand the underlying sources of earlier conflict that have not heretofore been fully addressed and that contribute to distrust between the two nations.

The book primarily examines the Russian perspective on relations with China by taking advantage of new declassified archival material available in Russia as well the United States and, to lesser extent, China. The content is greatly enhanced by the author's numerous field trips and productive interviews with Russian and Chinese officials and scholars who were specialists in Russo-Chinese relations or who have been involved in the foreign-policy decision-making process. The book starts with a very conceptual introduction that defines the subject of analysis, the main determinants and actors shaping Russia's relations with China, and the prevalent trends and key challenges in the evolution of Russo-Chinese relations. The introduction is followed by three parts. Part 1, "Brezhnev's Containment Policy," explains the Soviet Union's China strategy. Part 2, "The Road to Beijing," examines the painful and uneven path from confrontation to normalization between the two countries. Part 3, "Toward Sino-Russian Partnership," focuses on post-Soviet Russia's strategy vis-à-vis China and the dissonance between Moscow and the border regions in their perspectives on China.

The discussion of Russo-Chinese relations is conducted in a broad strategic context involving the interests and role of the United States. Applying the realist theory of balance of power, the author amply demonstrates how both Moscow and Beijing tried to prevent the other party from colluding with the United States. Unfortunately, the examination of the Soviet Union's containment policy toward China omits the consistent and successful efforts by Moscow to advance strategic cooperation with India. Since Central Asia has emerged today as another test of Russo-Chinese relations, the discussion of this region's evolving foreign policy is very relevant and appropriate. As the author convincingly argues, China has so far been very careful in dealing with Central Asian states, trying to avoid the appearance of competing with Russia in the region. At times, however, the Central Asian states have sought greater cooperation from China as a means of decreasing their dependence on Russia. Not surprisingly, Russia has viewed these ventures with suspicion, fearing that China's growing economic and energy ties with Central Asia might be detrimental to its interests. At the same time, Moscow and Beijing are unified in trying to prevent the expansion of the U.S. military and political presence in Central Asia and are concerned about what they consider to be American encouragement of liberal change in the post-Soviet space. The recent mass-driven regime change in Kyrgyzstan has clearly alarmed both Moscow and Beijing and stimulated further their cooperation in the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

The author identifies three main audiences who had a high stake in the formulation and implementation of Soviet policy toward China: the international communist movement, the Moscow policy community...