Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei TimesRussia has complicated feelings about Xinjiang, Lu said. For Russia, the region is already being effectively controlled by China and as a result, in terms of Russia’s China strategy, Xinjiang is a place that no longer holds much “obvious strategic value,” he said. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s formation in 2010 of a customs union among Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan was aimed at curtailing China’s influence, Lu said. He said he does not think China’s economic strategy will last long due to the country’s internal socioeconomic problems and the US-China trade dispute. The development of the Belt and Road Initiative will “determine the fate of Uighurs in Xinjiang,” he said.

Source: Taipei Times November 15, 2020 15:56 UTC