WHY CHINA AND RUSSIA HAVE PARTED WAYS

[SirLancelot]

http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/09/24/news/edbalzar.php

 

WHY CHINA AND RUSSIA HAVE PARTED WAYS

Eager dragon, wary bear

By Harley Balzer

Published: September 24, 2007

 

Most people looking at Russia and China when Mao died in 1976 would have assumed that Russia was better positioned to become a major player in global technology industries.

 

The Soviet Union was a superpower with many of the requisites for development. Its literacy levels and enormous numbers of scientific, technical and other specialists with advanced education far surpassed China's overwhelmingly peasant society emerging from the chaos of the cultural revolution.

 

Yet since Mao's death it is China that has generated consistent high economic growth rates, fostering increasingly competitive industries and lifting a significant number of people out of poverty. China is an important global player in a growing number of technology industries and in the international economic system, things Russian leaders merely talk about.

 

Very fascinating OP-ED piece. I found it very interested indeed. I don't agree with everything that's stated in this OP-ED piece, but nevertheless I found the opinion and analysis quite thought-provoking.

[IllinoisDave]

Very interesting. At the risk of over-simplifying, I think it seems like Russia's advancement has been hindered by more of a greedy,enrich-myself/screw the state and everyone else mentality. Whereas China's leaders have been able for the most part to steer growth and global integration more towards the good of the country as a whole.

 

I realize that there are many more factors at play but it just seems like that in Russia, a relative few have gotten very rich whether through sheer opportunism or outright thievery. In China, the new-found wealth does seem to be spread around a little more, though the gap between rich and poor is still pretty staggering.

[Gordon]

The difference between Russia and China is that Russia is mired much more in Mafia and unscrupulous deals. They are dominating the scenery. People try to get businesses going and when they start to make it they are hit by the mafia or the government. (Maybe the same thing)

[Tony_onrock]

Two different people. Russians talk, Chinese work.