Richard Weitz: At the recent Russo-Chinese summit in Beijing, both governments again hailed their close ties, signed seventeen agreements on economic and other issues, and vowed to expand their joint military engagements. China pledged to invest more in the Russian Far East and buy more Russian nuclear energy technology. The two countries also declared their identity of views … [Read more...] about WITH FRIENDS LIKE THESE: THE CHINA-RUSSIA AXIS
RUSSIA-CHINA AXIS
WASHINGTON’S CREATION: A RUSSIAN-CHINA ALLIANCE?
Andranik Migranyan: In June [2014], I participated in a seminar called “The Dynamic of Trilateral Relations among Russia, China, and the United States in the Context of the Ukrainian Crisis and Western Sanctions against Russia” in China itself. The participants supported the assertion—frequently repeated by Russian and Chinese leaders—that relations between Russia and China … [Read more...] about WASHINGTON’S CREATION: A RUSSIAN-CHINA ALLIANCE?
THE PARABLE OF THE TWO KINGDOMS
Derek J. Mitchell: Periods of close collaboration and bitter rivalry have punctuated relations between China and Russia from the Cold War to the present. On the 57th anniversary of the PRC’s founding, however, President Vladmir Putin of Russia proclaimed his country’s commitment to “confidently developing [relations] in the spirit of strategic partnership and allied relations … [Read more...] about THE PARABLE OF THE TWO KINGDOMS
CHINA AND RUSSIA: AN AXIS OF WEAK STATES?
Gordon G. Chang: When Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping met for the fifth time last year—at the October APEC summit in Bali, Indonesia—the Chinese leader spoke about “the uniqueness of China-Russia relations.” Indeed, the ties between the two countries, as both Beijing and Moscow now perceive them, are truly one-of-a-kind. They view themselves in the same terms and see their … [Read more...] about CHINA AND RUSSIA: AN AXIS OF WEAK STATES?
CHINA AND RUSSIA – AXIS OF CONVENIENCE?
Huiyun Feng: Just how likely are China and Russia to ally against the U.S.? The rising tensions between Russia and the West, especially the United States, over Ukraine provide a constant reminder of the Cold War, when the two superpowers fought proxy conflicts for spheres of influence. A key question in the current game of great power politics is whether China and Russia will … [Read more...] about CHINA AND RUSSIA – AXIS OF CONVENIENCE?
HOW THE UNITED STATES CAN COUNTER THE AMBITIONS OF RUSSIA AND CHINA
Ely Ratner and Thomas Wright: The unraveling of the Middle East under the weight of the Sunni-Shiite rivalry and the rise of the Islamic State is enough of a national security challenge to keep the United States busy for a decade or more. But with more and more American advisers on the ground in Iraq — and a steady stream of videotaped atrocities on the Internet — there is a … [Read more...] about HOW THE UNITED STATES CAN COUNTER THE AMBITIONS OF RUSSIA AND CHINA
IS CHINA MORE DEMOCRATIC THAN RUSSIA?
IVAN KRASTEV: On paper, Russia’s political system is an impressive reproduction of Western representative democracy, while the Chinese system remains an unreconstructed autocracy. The reality of the situation is much more complex, says Ivan Krastev. Asking the question, ‘who is more democratic, Russia or China’? is in some ways like asking the question ‘who is more feminine, … [Read more...] about IS CHINA MORE DEMOCRATIC THAN RUSSIA?