The Great Challenge: China, Russia (Video)

The Great Challenge: China, Russia

2014

The Great Challenge: China, Russia is an informative documentary focused on the United States' relationship with Russia and China after the 1990 dissolution of the Soviet Union. Through newsreel footage and interviews with journalists, politicians and strategists, we learn about the US attempt to maintain world power in the aftermath of this dissolution, the current status of Russia under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, and the present relationship between Russia and China as imposing competitors to the US.

As explained by Daniele Scalea, Editor-in-Chief of Geopolitica Journal, the US strategy after the fall of the Soviet Union was to prevent potential rivals from growing powerful by strengthening US military power in key locations adjacent to the energy resources of the Middle East. Journalist and politician Giulietto Chiesa cautions that America's desire to control global resources creates a situation that gets increasingly dangerous with time.

Highlighting the establishment of the Greater Middle East Project by the second Bush administration, it is explained that the project's intent was to impose America's influence throughout the Middle East, a move that helped the US maintain economic and political domination in the area. By controlling the borders in the region, which is central to to Europe, Eurasia, Russia, East Asia and Africa, the US could thereby neutralize any threat from Russia.

Political expert Francois Marshall claims the intent behind attacking Afghanistan post-9/11 was not in the interest of counter-terrorism, but rather for the purpose of establishing military bases in former soviet countries that would, in turn, continue to limit Russia's influence. However, Putin's turn to power in 2000 saw Russia regain its status as a world power, renewing its potential threat to the US.

Although heavily focused on the relationship between Russia and the United States from 1990 through the present, we are later introduced to China's relationship between the two countries. Political Activist Ginette Skandrani cautions that Russia and China are currently taking control of the global economy as they've managed to gain independence from the US and Middle East despite US efforts to block their economic growth. With these countries regaining strenght in World markets, it is questioned whether the United States' attempt to dominate through globalization will neutralize the growth in Russia and China, or if we are on a course of conflict with the two.