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|a In the past five years, two visions of Russia's economic integration into the pacific Rim have emerged. One, promoted by Boris Yeltsin's leadership and continued by President Vladimir Putin, has focused on the evolving partnership with the people's Republic of China (PRC). The other, favored by regional leaders in the Russian Far East, has called for closer ties with the United States, Japan, and South Korea. This study explores the strategic rationale of foreign economic relations with the Pacific Rim as seen in Moscow and three of the regions in the Russian far East. Khabarovskii Krai, Primorskii Krai, and Sakhalinskaia Oblast. The divergence in certer-regional approaches has significant implications for the United States. In Moscow, policymakers emphasize strategic agreement with Beijing, at times directed against American interests. Regional officials, however, espouse a more inclusive vision of integrating the Russian Far East into the Pacific Rim economy that coincides with U.S.economic interests by expanding U.S. trade and investment opportunities in the region. Moreover, failire to better integrate the Russian far East into the Pacific Rim economy holds potentially adverse consequences for U.S. interests in the region due to the increased risk of political and social instability accompanying economic decline. The study concludes with an assessment of the policy implications of Russia's divergent Asia policy for Russia, Asia, and the United States.
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