The ”other” major power in the region: Russia and Southeast Asia

Abstract

In recent years Southeast Asia has seen the intense competition for influence and involvement between two big powers-the United States and China. Another major power, standing on the sides and taking in the rivalry, is Russia, which, in the heady days of the Soviet Union, was also an interested player in the Southeast Asian theatre. Since the 1990s Russia has largely avoided inter-power contestation and has sought to rebuild its multifaceted relationships with member states and regional organizations. While its political-economic ties are relatively small compared to other powers, and its foreign policy does not prioritize the region, it has nevertheless been a consistent partner within the geo-political canvas of the area and a key ally for some SEA states. The paper examines the various linkages between Russia and Southeast Asia and offers an assessment of current and future alignments considering its close ties with the leading Asian power, China. Geo-political setting in Southeast Asia Big powers have had a presence in the region bound by the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea, later to be known as Southeast Asia, since the quest for resources influenced the competitive advance into foreign lands. Asian powers, India and China had begun their foray several centuries before western powers divided up the region into their colonial entities. Czarist Russia did not possess any colonies in the said region and thus was not in the race to conquer and maintain its distant possessions. Links were limited to sailors and whaling ships that sometimes-reached maritime Asia 1. The end of the Second World War saw the emergence of independent Asian states that somewhat altered the political dynamics for some while colonialism remained for others for another decade or so. Post-colonial linkages by the western Big Powers especially the US, UK, and France intensified after the 1950s as they sought to retain influence over their ex-colonies through political, economic and socio-cultural relationships. In addition, another factor in international linkages was ideology communism that provided the opportunity for an inroad into Southeast Asia. Marxism-Leninism from the Soviet Union held its attractions for certain sections of the communities while its variant, Maoism-Leninism from China had other supporters that saw its potential influence in Southeast Asia. For states that were against communism, the encroaching pull from the Soviet Union or from the much nearer Chinese heartland was a major threat to domestic stability 2. Hence the presence of western capitalism and political prowess versus the socialist support Russian foreign policy,