Originally Posted by
Seamus Fermanagh
Yes and no Frags.
In the sense that China is a major power and they share a border and China is using illegals to stake claim to territory out there, yes Russian clearly sees China as competition. And I am sure they have mixed feelings regarding Chinese efforts to build relationships with the Central Asian 'stans. On the other hand, Russia has a strategic deterrent that dwarfs China's, and any direct attack would have to go a long way to really cut Russia up. So the threat is muted somewhat.
By contrast, Russian has looked to Europe and steadfastly insisted on being thought of as European at least as far back as Czar Peter, if not before. China may be more of a threat, per se, but it is Europe that looms largest in the Russian psyche.