WHILE attention has been concentrated on Prime Minister Zhu Rongji's visit to North America, Beijing has also been moving in the opposite geographical direction to balance its international options. The relationship with the United States had occupied centre stage at least since President Bill Clinton's visit to China nearly a year ago. The sooner the World Trade Organisation question is settled the better for all concerned, particularly given the scale of the concessions which accompanied the Prime Minister's visit and which should be acted upon as quickly as possible.
But, at the same time, Beijing has been steadily building up its relationship with Moscow in a manner that could be significant for the future of international relations. Last week, Chinese and Russian officials discussed global strategic issues in Moscow and, on Friday, the two governments joined in opposing proposed US missile defence systems, warning of a new arms race and saying the systems would violate existing international treaties and threaten global stability. Earlier, Beijing and Moscow both condemned the Nato bombing of Yugoslavia, and they both take a dim view of the alliance's expansion into Eastern Europe with new members from the former Soviet bloc. The groundwork for this Chinese-Russian understanding was laid by Mr Zhu when he visited Moscow in February. Before setting off to North America, the Prime Minister said he and President Boris Yeltsin had an 'intimate bearhug' while he would be content with a warm handshake when he arrived in the United States.
Relations between Moscow and Beijing have followed a switchback pattern since the Communist victory in China. In today's less ideological world, with the United States the dominant international power, it would not be a surprise if China, set on a pattern of growth, and Moscow, fighting decline from its former superpower status, find common cause in trying to set up a balance to Washington.
But Beijing has to measure carefully how far it can go in a new Sino-Soviet relationship without damaging the partnership with Washington. The uncertainties of power in Moscow make the outlook uncertain for any government doing business with Russia. Developing closer links with Moscow may be a natural element of Chinese foreign policy, but the relationship across the Pacific is the one that really counts.
