I think Keith is on the money with "Chinese communists want to make trade – not war." Russia was spending too much on the military including the Russian war in Afghanistan.

Up until 1989 the Russians and their Eastern European satellite-allies were allocating obscene proportions of their GDP on armies and weapons. Russia had also withdrawn from its own long Vietnam-like war in Afghanistan in February 1989, but was still feeling the economic and social harm.

The citizens of Russia-Eastern Europe were tired of communism, consumer good shortages and food lines.

Russia also had an enlightened leader in Mikhail Gorbachev who facilitated change from the top.

In contrast China spent comparatively little on armies, war and weapons, was mainly agrarian based and the Party had a much stronger hold.

At Tianannmen Square students and liberals tried to cause change from the bottom at a time too early while in Russia much of the change had come from the top (Gorbachev) from the mid 1980s.

In terms of timelines Russia had Communist rule for a much longer time 1917 to 1989 = 72 years while China only became Communist in 1949. Arguably China may become fully capitalist in 1949+72 = 2021. Although the fake "Communist Party" label may live on - making is a capitalist one party state.

Pete
(see Tiananmen Square Anniversary 2009 at http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp? article=9004 )

Yes Pete; but, we need to keep shining the searchlight of public exposure, on all human rights abuses, and or state sanctioned murder!
Be it China, Burma, Russia, the Ukraine or Thailand etc/etc!
What would Thailand do, if the free world just cut off all trade and commerce with them, or indeed, any other rouge nation?
For evil to prosper, good men only need stand and do nothing!
And nowadays, they can put HD cameras and digital sound systems, inside wrist watches, sunglasses, remote controlled toys,(cars, helicopters) and ubiquitous mobile phones!
The authorities, may be able to remove some of those, and jam most frequencies?
But it's hard to block porous borders against small payload carrying helium balloons, kites, drones parachutes etc!
I mean, something as small as a SIM card/wrist watch battery powered EPERB, can be fired across a heavily controlled border, in/as an arrow's tail?
I fired an arrow into the air, it landed, I know not where?
Not straight up now, y'hear! Ouch, ouch?
Rhrosty.

Well Rhrosty I reckon

That in the one party capitalist states of Russia and China there are established elites who have salted away money for real estate in boltholes like Australia.

If democratic mayhem upsets the one-party apple-carts they can flee overseas. Australia will gladly host these migrants because they are law abiding and, more to the point, can afford the multi-million dollar investment entry fees - few questions asked.

Everybody's happy except those in Russia and China who can't afford to leave.

Pete

Yes Pete, you're probably right?
However, if we just keep shining that "spotlight" on acts of unadulterated evil, many will be still brought to justice, and at an age, where real prison time is indubitably much harder.
We already have a law preventing criminals from profiting from their crimes; meaning, any property could fall to the crown, rather than a criminal's dependents!
Even where that is not the case, there remains one final court they cannot escape!
Backed up by myriad eyewitness, near death accounts of a real eternal Hell!?
What profits a man, even should he gain the whole world, but lose his immortal soul.
And simple disbelief doesn't disprove anything, even a round earth, when popular conventional wisdom, held it to be flat!
In the interim, if enough eyes are watching and gathering irrefutable evidence, those in power, may see the wisdom of acting like reasonably decent human beings; given as you pointed out and as history demonstrates, no one gets away with that stuff forever!
Not even those who somehow believe they're protected by a Nazi, Nipponese, Stalinist/Communist Chinese, Pol Pot totalitarian regimes!
Rhrosty.

Dear Rhrosty

For a serious, pro-miniature Thorium reactor type you're sounding increasingly contemplative even spiritual.

To that end I formally introduce you, not to the Beijing Security Comedy Team, but to Mr, or is that Miss? Conchita Wurst, exalted winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 http://youtu.be/j4CA7TSfr9Y .

Enjoy

Pete

Smells like democracy is cooking.....I do like the value.

Kat