China-Russia Exercise: Joint Occupation of N. Korea?
Segei Blagov at Asia Times writes:
The truth is out. The joint war games on northern Chinese beaches, part of a military exercise between China and Russia, are not designed to send warning messages to the United States about the limits of its global unilateralism.Convergence of interests -- that is what it comes down to. For the moment, Russia and China have shared concerns (US influence, specifically, in Central Asia, North Korea, arms sales and etc.) that warrant cooperation of sorts.It's really all about China and Russia practicing for a joint occupation of North Korea, or so the Russian media will have us believe.
More mundanely, the unprecedented display of Russian and Chinese combined military might also sends a signal to Central Asian countries that both Moscow and Beijing will no longer ignore American inroads into the strategically important region. However, Moscow has dismissed speculation of moves toward a new military bloc or joint armed groupings involving Russia and China.
In the mean time, Asia Times also has pieces (here and here) on the proposed Chinese acquisition of a Canadian-registered Central Asian oil company, PetroKazakhstan:
China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), China's largest oil and gas producer, reached an agreement with PetroKazakhstan Inc on Monday to buy the Canadian-registered company for US$4.18 billion. If the deal closes as expected in October, it would become the largest-ever overseas acquisition for a Chinese firm, breaking the record set when Lenovo acquired IBM's PC unit.My prediction of sorts about the Chinese move toward "north" unfolds!"CNPC, through its wholly owned subsidiary China National Petroleum Corporation International (CNPCI), has participated in acquiring PetroKazakhstan (PK)," the Beijing-based oil giant said in a statement Monday. CNPC, the state-owned parent of Hong Kong-listed PetroChina, and PetroKazakhstan, formerly known as Hurricane Hydrocarbons, have entered into an "arrangement agreement" whereby the Chinese oil firm will pay US$55 a share, or 21% more than its closing share price on Friday, PetroKazakhstan said in a statement.