Chinese Octopus: How China Is Taking Over the Post-Soviet Space

... recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia by Russia. Beijing is focusing on a new strategy to take back Taiwan without violence. The crisis in Kosovo and the bombing of NATO led to an anti-Western feeling, and China is not ready to help the West in the Black Sea region, while the relationship with Russia is complicated because of the Soviet past (the USSR has been against an autonomous Chinese nuclear deterrence policy). Looking at the difficult experience of the West in Kosovo, the struggling of Russia to bring more country to recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Beijing came rapidly to the conclusion the best way to ensure prosperity is to avoid using both military pressure and diplomatic recognition, staying open to working with all countries — even ...