Shunned by US and Europe, Putin works on making friends in the Asia-Pac

Strengthening ties with India, Pakistan, North and South Korea, and Asean also hedges its bets on China

Published Mon, Feb 16, 2015 · 09:50 PM

    Hong Kong

    BOXED in by the US and its allies, faced with an uneasy relationship with China and needing new friends and income, Russia is popping up everywhere in Asia.

    A new strategic agreement with Pakistan. A visit by Vladimir Putin to India. Helping search for a plane that crashed off Indonesia. Coaxing Kim Jong Un to venture out of North Korea. In a region where some governments may be less squeamish about events in Ukraine, Mr Putin is surprisingly welcome.