Russia's Far East

Russia's Far East: new dynamics in Asia Pacific and beyond. By Rensselaer Lee and Artyom Lukin. London: Lynne Rienner. 2015. 276pp. £66.50. isbn 978 162637 389 1. Since the collapse of relations with the West in 2014, Russia has escalated its engagement with Asia. Analyses of the prospects for this pivot have focused on Russia's capacity to meet Asian interests, the resources and instruments that support this policy, and Russia's credibility as an Asian power given its historic Eurocentrism. Less discussed is the fact of Russia's enormous territorial presence in Asia. While Russia now seeks to project influence across the continent, it has long comprised a major part of it. What role do Russia's Asian possessions play in its Asia policy? Conversely, what influence could Asian powers' engagement with these lands have on Russia? Rensselaer Lee and Artyom Lukin's excellent primer on Russia's Far East will inform and enrich these debates. A welcome collaboration of two leading American and Russian scholars, the book explores the history, economics, international relations and possible futures of the Far Eastern Federal District. This vast territory, comprising 36 per cent of Russian's territory but only 4 per cent of its population and GDP, is, they argue, both an asset and a liability, combining great promise with chronic underdevelopment

China · Development economics · East Asia · Economics · Economy · Eurocentrism · Futures contract · Political economy · Political science · Population · Power (physics · Sociology · Underdevelopment · China's Ethnic Minorities and Relations · Historical Studies and Socio-cultural Analysis · Law · Vietnamese History and Culture Studies