Part 12/14:
Russia faces a tough balancing act. On one side, expelling Chinese companies could escalate tensions and diminish the economic lifelines supporting Siberia’s struggling communities. Conversely, capitulating to Chinese influence in land leases and cultural claims could irrevocably alter the region’s sovereignty.
There remains the dangerous possibility that Russia’s own response—such as suppressing Chinese influence domestically—could be turned against it by Beijing, which views the situation as a matter of reclaiming territory lost in the past.