China-Russia partnership: Significant but limited

Today, Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Moscow for a three-day visit where he is meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. It is the first such visit since Russia invaded Ukraine last year. Defense Priorities Director of Asia Engagement Lyle Goldstein issued the following statement in response:

“President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Moscow signals that China will continue its course of gradually improving cooperation with Russia, despite Western pleas to try to isolate the country. This is not really a major change in China’s position, but rather an affirmation of the continuing strength of China-Russia ties. It’s critical to recognize, however, that Beijing has been walking a tight rope with respect to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It has not condemned Russia’s actions, but neither has it robustly supported the invasion either, for example by directly supplying finished weapons.

“Washington should recognize that Beijing has acted with a certain amount of restraint amid the turmoil of the Ukraine war. Indeed, China could adopt a much more confrontational posture by sending massive amounts of weapons and munitions to Russia or even ‘volunteers’ to go and fight on Russia’s behalf. Such provocative steps remain unlikely since they would go against China’s basic interests, but also depend on a corresponding level of restraint by Washington, including on the most delicate Taiwan question.

“As currently configured, the China-Russia quasi-alliance does not constitute a major national security threat to the United States. Following a course of realism and restraint in East Asia, as well as Eastern Europe, the U.S. can help bring about a China-Russia relationship that remains significant, but still rather limited in its character and not a full alliance. A return to the intense Cold War-type atmosphere of the 1950s hardly corresponds to U.S. national interests.”