China and Its Neighbors, Part 5: Russia

Mistrust Remains, Despite Pledges of Cooperation

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Russian Far East cities such as Khabarovsk are struggling economically and losing population, while just on the other side of the border, Chinese cities are booming.

Map of China and Its Neighbors

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Some Russian nationalists forward a conspiracy theory that China, with 1.3 billion people, may seek to ease overcrowding by expanding into Russia's sparsely populated Far East.

All Things Considered, February 20, 2004 · Russia, the world's biggest country, and China, the world's most populous, frequently clashed during the Cold War. The two giants spent decades engaged in an ideological rivalry and border skirmishes, but have since put much of that open hostility behind them.

Russia and China now officially call their relationship a "strategic partnership." But many Russians retain a mistrust of China, especially in light of its increasing economic and political might. NPR's Lawrence Sheets reports from the Far Eastern Russian city of Khabarovsk.

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