| Summary/Abstract |
The relationship between the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China is one of great complexity and importance to policymakers tasked with forming U.S. foreign policy. Considering the long-term implications for U.S. strategy, the research seeks to anticipate future trends in the Sino/Russia relationship using scenario planning techniques to develop four distinct yet impactful scenarios for policymakers to consider. From a list of highlighted “driving forces” in the Sino/Russia relationship, the research points to two critical uncertainties (U.S. policy and Central Asia) that could dictate the future relationship between the two powers. The scenarios include hypothetical events in a multitude of areas, which could have significant consequences for the two countries. The study recommends a change in U.S. policy that accounts for the growing environmental and technological tensions that are driving current geopolitical unrest in the developing world and suggests that a change is taking place in how the global community defines, conceptually, the role of great-power politics
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