In Focus: China-Russia

Putin’s War – China’s Choices
March 2022 | Michael Cox

Michael Cox argues that China faces several choices following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but that a rupture in the China-Russia friendship is still unlikely.

A Cold Wind Blows from the East: What could Russia’s invasion of Ukraine mean for Taiwan?
February 2022 | Mariah Thornton

Mariah Thornton comments on interpreting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as an omen for Taiwan.

Beyond the “New Cold War”: Russia, China, Ukraine, the Global South
February 2022 | Lukas Fiala and Hugo Jones

Lukas Fiala and Hugo Jones consider whether China and Russia will reap a new world order in their spheres of influence across the Global South.

In the Russian Arctic, China treads on thinning ice
November 2021 | Lukas Wahden

Lukas Wahden argues that China will need to loosen its dependence on Russian support and diversify its links with other Arctic states to maintain its position as a regional stakeholder.

From Ukraine to a New World Order? China, Russia, Sun Tzu and The Art of War
February 2022 | Michael Cox

Following the release of a joint statement by China and Russia, Michael Cox considers implications for the escalating crisis at Ukraine’s borders.

Entente of the Autocrats: Examining the Domestic Drivers of China-Russia Alignment | Part 1: More than a Few Roadblocks
June 2021 | Björn Alexander Düben

Björn Alexander Düben explains the enduring problems which afflict the partnership as the bilateral power disparity grows, in part one of a two-part article.

Entente of the Autocrats: Examining the Domestic Drivers of China-Russia Alignment | Part 2: The Centrality of Regime Security
June 2021 | Björn Alexander Düben

Björn Alexander Düben argues that the shared interests of China and Russia’s ruling elites can help to explain the two countries’ growing alignment, in part two of a two-part article.

Can Beijing Get Away With Hedging in Ukraine?
February 2022 | Lukas Fiala

Lukas Fiala argues that China’s tacit support for a brutal war will come with reputational costs in the long run, across the Global South and elsewhere.

Russia’s Neutrality and Pragmatism Amid the US-China Rivalry
October 2020 | Frank Ka-Ho Wong

Despite Washington’s fears of a deepened Russia-China alliance, Frank Ka-Ho Wong argues that Russia sees itself as a cautious mediator, looking to quietly build cooperation with China in specific sectors.

Japan, China and Russia: Appraising the risk of a war on two fronts
September 2021 | Duncan Bartlett

Duncan Bartlett examines the web of relations between Japan, China and Russia, and the security implications of various territorial disputes and partnerships amongst the triangle.

China and the Arctic: energy finance, history and regional governance
February 2022 | Rasmus Gjedssø Bertelsen, Caroline Humphrey, Keun-Wook Paik, Chris Alden

Describing China as a “near-Arctic state”, Beijing has gradually levelled up the importance of the Arctic in its overall grand strategy.

Comrades Putin and Xi
April 2021 | Michael Cox

Michael Cox considers why Western policy and academic circles have been reluctant to recognise the gradually consolidating partnership between Russia and China.