Russia in the East Asian Region
The article points out that an analysis of the developing process of East Asian regional integration during the inter - recessionary period of 1998-2008 has discovered a gradual decrease in the U.S. opportunities to influence the development of an East Asian common market. The growing power of China has provided its leading role in the establishment of system integration institutions in East Asia. Seeking a status of an East Asian power Russia, logically enough, complies with the general Chinese integration project formulated as ASEAN+1(PRC). There is a potential possibility of so called “great compromise” between China, the USA and Japan. This runs counter to the Russian geopolitical interests because this possibility may actually make the Russian Far East a mere supplier of raw materials for the three major powers. In order to prevent this, Russia should persistently develop the most supportive investment climate to intensify the inflow of direct investments from its Western regions to the Far Eastern territories. Russian Far East should not count on foreign investments because of the U.S. stiff resistance to that process, especially in the Japanese area. The removal of Japan from the function of the East Asian integration leader is caused by the deployment of American military bases on the Japanese territory. This makes Tokyo fully dependent on Washington in the implementation of national external policy all over East Asia. The author draws a conclusion that the present situation in the East Asian region indicates the growing processes of accelerated economic development and their implacable transformation into a China-oriented integration model. The article is based on the analysis of sources that allow to present an objective situation regarding the place and role of Russia in East Asian integration processes.