The czarist Russian Empire expanded across Siberia and annexed much of Asia as the Chinese Empire was in decline. Russia joined other European nations in carving up spheres of influence in China, focusing on northeastern China. The Russians also absorbed Central Asia, home to a large number of Turkic people. The native area of these Turkic people overlaps both China and Russia.
Uyghirs, Tajiks, and Uzbeks all have ethnic kin across the Chinese border either from Russia or from new portions of the Confederation of Independent States. The Turkic people are overwhelmingly Islamic, in contrast to the Chinese. Russia has weakened, while Islamic fundamentalism is not only at war with other Muslim groups but also is on the rise. This means China can get no help from the Russians in restraining Islamic fundamentalism and the efforts at the reunification of these various Turkic groups. Religious and other revolutionary disputes could easily spill over China's border.
In other areas the shifting course of rivers constituting boundaries between China and Russia have caused conflicts over which islands should be counted as belonging to which country. These areas were once remote from the central areas of both Russia and China, but with modern communication and transportation, they can now be reached much more easily.
Complicating any other problems is the continuing reality that both Russia and China possess nuclear weapons, deepening the significance and danger of any conflict between the two countries.
World History
