Wind (and rockets) from the East

On January 24, the news swept the world: China deployed the latest intercontinental ballistic missiles near the borders with Russia

On the same day, reports that the Dongfeng-41 mobile missile systems appeared in the Chinese province of Heilongjiang, bordering Russia, commented on the press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov: “Any actions in terms of the development of the Chinese Armed Forces, if this information is true, we do not perceive military construction in China as a threat to our country.” Peskov considered it necessary to recall that China "is our strategic ally, our partner both politically and in trade and economic terms." “We value our relations,” the Kremlin spokesman stressed.

Beijing did not remain in debt. Calling the media reports "speculation and conjecture", the representative of the Chinese Foreign Ministry thanked the Russian side for the "positive, straightforward and constructive" comment.

At one time, Vladimir Putin said that one of the most important foreign policy tasks for Russia is to catch the Chinese wind in our sails. If, nevertheless, the reports about the missiles are true, our country is closer than ever to the fulfillment of this task. After all, "Dongfeng" is translated as "wind from the east." We are talking about the latest solid-propellant intercontinental ballistic missile with a range of up to 14 thousand km. According to experts, it is capable of carrying 10-12 nuclear warheads.

The Kremlin is always extremely sensitive to any military activity on its borders in Europe. Let's remember: in response to NATO's decision to deploy four battalions in the Baltic countries and Poland, Moscow announced the creation of as many as four divisions. Here, the Russian authorities are showing extraordinary restraint and stoic calm. Immediately there were comments from military experts who unanimously began to explain: by deploying strategic missiles in the northeast of the country, Beijing is not aiming at Russia at all. He is targeting the East Coast of the United States, whose new president has been confrontational about China. Therefore, Donald Trump should be worried, and not Vladimir Putin at all.

Indeed, the shortest route for a strategic missile from China to the United States is over the Arctic Ocean. But also over Russia. And if the Americans try to intercept Chinese missiles with the help of their global missile defense system, then all this will happen just above our country. With all the ensuing, and in this case, falling, consequences. I remember that the argument that the European missile defense system is doomed to intercept missiles that could be launched from Iran over Russia was one of the main arguments of Moscow, which strongly opposed the creation of this system.

Another question: how, one wonders, to react if our missile attack warning system registers a launch from Chinese territory in the direction of Russia? According to the accepted rules, a decision should be made immediately on a retaliatory strike. Or will the Kremlin rely on its inescapable belief that the PRC is a friend and ally, and therefore "friendly" missiles will fly past?

It seems that for the first time in its history, our country finds itself in the position of not being a subject, but an object of the policy of third countries: now it has become a hostage to how relations between China and the United States will develop. Frants Klintsevich, the first deputy chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Defense, reacted much more adequately than the presidential press secretary to what was happening: Russia, he said, cannot leave the deployment of Chinese missiles at its borders unanswered. True, the answer, he said, could be strengthening our missile defense system in the Far East. But alas, nothing is known about whether there are means of intercepting strategic missiles ...