New Guidelines and Risks for Asian Russia in the Implementation of the “One Belt – One Road” Project Under Current Geopolitical and Global Climate Changes

Abstract

The life of modern society of Asian Russia is governed by the political processes occurring on the western borders of Russia as well as by global warming which together create new vectors of economic development throughout the entire territory of North Asia. With the imposition of Western sanctions, however, there is taking place a reorientation of the export-import relations of Russia with a focus on the development of contacts with countries of the Asia-Pacific region. In these conditions, the program of development of international transport corridors entitled “One Belt – One Road” is gaining new momentum; it has a direct bearing on the prospects of the economic growth of Russia, North China, Mongolia and other countries located in the zone of influence of historical civilizational roads, such as the “Great Silk Road” and “Great Tea Road”. This article considers the present situation from the perspective of both economic and physical geography as well as the possible problems associated with eastward reorientation of the main economic flows and the possible ways out of this situation. Economic factors are considered, such as energy flows and commodity-money relations, as well as ecological factors: climatic changes, the influence on agriculture and tourist flows that have shaped themselves in the modern realities.