Defence-oriented industrialization, perestroika and ending the cold war : a case study of USSR's alteration of its policy towards northeast Asia

Abstract

In the midst of the most serious economic and political crises since its founding seven decades ago, there have been significant developments in Soviet Asian policy within the framework of global detente during the past two years. Following the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games, with the Gorbachev-Den Xiaoping summit in Beijing, Sin-Soviet rapprochement was accomplished, mainly according to terms set out by Beijing. Then, with another summit between Gorbachev and Roh Tae Woo, the Soviet Union and South Korea established diplomatic relations in 1990. At the same time, Soviet-Japanese relations also experienced some progress. These developments pose a sharp contrast to the typical Soviet Cold War attitude towards Northeast Asia, which was characterised by an accelerated military build up beginning in the late 1960s in the Soviet Far East and strategic alignment with North Korea and Vietnam, directed against the US-led alliance and China. This alteration of Soviet Asian policy has deep political and economic reasons. It shows that under great political and economic pressure within the society, the Soviet Union endeavours to reduce international tension and build new ties of economic cooperation. The alteration also indicates that in search of new economic partners to revive its collapsing economy, the Kremlin is willing to distance itself from North Korea, a country that has been its most important Cold War ally (given there were not any better candidates) in Northeast Asia. Show more