China and Russia’s strategic duo endures – but its limits are clear

(Yu Jie – Chatham House) In the past six months, Beijing has emerged as a diplomatic crossroads for all permanent members of the UN Security Council. The latest arrival was a familiar figure to his Chinese host: Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom President Xi Jinping has met more than 40 times since 2012. Like the Xi–Trump summit last week, international media focused on the apparent personal chemistry between the leaders, dissecting every detail of the diplomatic theatre surrounding the meetings. In reality, however, geopolitics is rarely driven by personal warmth or political ‘bromance’. It is shaped by strategic interests, calculations of power, and national priorities. This latest meeting between Xi and Putin was designed to send a message to the world: Beijing and Moscow remain strategically aligned in their effort to reshape the international order. A joint summit declaration, advocating a ‘multipolar world’ and a ‘new type of international relations’, underscored the durability of the China–Russia partnership at a moment of mounting global fragmentation. Yet beneath the appearance of unity lies a more complicated reality. China and Russia remain bound together by geography, by shared opposition to Western dominance, and by a partially overlapping strategic agenda. But the partnership is not limitless. Beijing is concerned over excessive dependence on Russian energy. And its broader global ambitions continue to place boundaries around how far the relationship can evolve. The Xi–Putin summit therefore revealed two truths simultaneously: China and Russia continue to operate as a consistent strategic duo on the world stage. But their partnership remains one of pragmatic alignment rather than full alliance. – China and Russia’s strategic duo endures – but its limits are clear | Chatham House – International Affairs Think Tank