Rock-firm China-Russia ties prop world order
By Wang Haiyun Source: Global Times Published: 2019/1/15
Recently, voices on a new Cold War by American conservatives repeatedly appear in the press and on the internet. They hold two contradicting views on China-Russia relations. Some believe Beijing and Moscow have formed a strategic alliance, which will pose a huge threat to the US. Others claim current ties are not strong so that once Russia improves its relations with the US and the EU, there would be subtle changes in the equation between Beijing and Moscow.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said on December 21, 2018, "In the face of profound and complex changes in the international landscape, China-Russia relations have demonstrated rock-firm stability and injected many stabilizing factors into the complex and unstable world." Her words clearly define the current China-Russia relations.
Fresh developments in Beijing-Moscow ties last year supported the above belief. Bilateral relations have been not only stable but also better. Why could they reach a "rock-firm" relationship?
First, from the geopolitical perspective, China and Russia are each other's largest neighbors, playing a significant role in security and development. Without good-neighborliness and cooperation between the two countries, China would dither from exposing its coastal areas as much as it does now or there would be no establishment and development of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which works as a new regional cooperative organization. Being each other's largest neighbors means that Beijing and Moscow share concerns over common security and stability, jointly fighting interference and threats from external powers.
To Moscow, without China-Russia good-neighborliness and friendly cooperation, it would find it hard to focus on dealing with the worsening security threat from the West or push for its Far East development strategy.
In terms of strategic strength, China and Russia complement each other, enabling one to support the other. China is not only the second largest economy, but its political influence and military power have also increased rapidly. Although Russia is not a superpower anymore, its comprehensive national strength cannot be underestimated; especially in military clout, it is second only to the US. Additionally, Russia excels in diplomacy and strategy. If Beijing and Moscow cooperate with and complement each other, the effect would multiply and benefit the two countries. The Russian and Chinese nations are characterized as combative and enduring respectively. Cooperation enables them to overcome external challenges.
Third, China and Russia hold similar strategic positions and concepts. The two nations are both emerging, non-Western powers, permanent members of the UN Security Council, and countries the US mainly intends to contain. Compared with Western great powers, the strategic objectives and interests of Beijing and Moscow tend to be closer. They both insist on the principle of "non-alignment, non-confrontation, and not targeting a third party," reject rivalry bloc and ideological hegemony. They undertake mutually beneficial cooperation and are concerned about each other's interests. The similarity in their strategic position and concepts boosts strategic cooperation and coordination.
Furthermore, in the evolution of international relations, when the world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century, China and Russia have been given new tasks. What US Secretary of Defense James Mattis said, "Russia has more in common with Western Europe and the United States than they have in common with China" is untenable. The prospect of China-Russia ties will be deeper and closer. They are unlikely to form a military alliance as the West predicts, not only because they follow the principle of being a "partnership rather than alliance", but also because there are no necessary conditions for an alliance. An alliance between the two would become the target of the US hegemonic system that may lead to a new confrontation between the two poles, threatening their own security and development.
In the future, China and Russia will deepen their comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination or will be special partners which "see each other as close allies" as Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
The author is executive director of the High-level Think Tank on China-Russia Strategic Coordination. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said on December 21, 2018, "In the face of profound and complex changes in the international landscape, China-Russia relations have demonstrated rock-firm stability and injected many stabilizing factors into the complex and unstable world." Her words clearly define the current China-Russia relations.
Fresh developments in Beijing-Moscow ties last year supported the above belief. Bilateral relations have been not only stable but also better. Why could they reach a "rock-firm" relationship?
First, from the geopolitical perspective, China and Russia are each other's largest neighbors, playing a significant role in security and development. Without good-neighborliness and cooperation between the two countries, China would dither from exposing its coastal areas as much as it does now or there would be no establishment and development of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which works as a new regional cooperative organization. Being each other's largest neighbors means that Beijing and Moscow share concerns over common security and stability, jointly fighting interference and threats from external powers.
To Moscow, without China-Russia good-neighborliness and friendly cooperation, it would find it hard to focus on dealing with the worsening security threat from the West or push for its Far East development strategy.
In terms of strategic strength, China and Russia complement each other, enabling one to support the other. China is not only the second largest economy, but its political influence and military power have also increased rapidly. Although Russia is not a superpower anymore, its comprehensive national strength cannot be underestimated; especially in military clout, it is second only to the US. Additionally, Russia excels in diplomacy and strategy. If Beijing and Moscow cooperate with and complement each other, the effect would multiply and benefit the two countries. The Russian and Chinese nations are characterized as combative and enduring respectively. Cooperation enables them to overcome external challenges.
Third, China and Russia hold similar strategic positions and concepts. The two nations are both emerging, non-Western powers, permanent members of the UN Security Council, and countries the US mainly intends to contain. Compared with Western great powers, the strategic objectives and interests of Beijing and Moscow tend to be closer. They both insist on the principle of "non-alignment, non-confrontation, and not targeting a third party," reject rivalry bloc and ideological hegemony. They undertake mutually beneficial cooperation and are concerned about each other's interests. The similarity in their strategic position and concepts boosts strategic cooperation and coordination.
Furthermore, in the evolution of international relations, when the world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century, China and Russia have been given new tasks. What US Secretary of Defense James Mattis said, "Russia has more in common with Western Europe and the United States than they have in common with China" is untenable. The prospect of China-Russia ties will be deeper and closer. They are unlikely to form a military alliance as the West predicts, not only because they follow the principle of being a "partnership rather than alliance", but also because there are no necessary conditions for an alliance. An alliance between the two would become the target of the US hegemonic system that may lead to a new confrontation between the two poles, threatening their own security and development.
In the future, China and Russia will deepen their comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination or will be special partners which "see each other as close allies" as Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
The author is executive director of the High-level Think Tank on China-Russia Strategic Coordination. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn
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