The image of Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong-un standing together at Tiananmen Square was a masterclass in political theatre, a chilling and unambiguous declaration for many in the West of a new anti-Western axis. Yet, some observers have pointed to the conspicuous absence of a formal trilateral summit as evidence of the bloc’s limits, suggesting Beijing remains reluctant to be locked into a rigid alliance with Moscow and Pyongyang. This view, however, misdiagnoses the nature of the challenge. The truth is not that China is a reluctant partner, but that it is methodically building an alliance without a name. Beijing’s entire strategy is to avoid the formal trappings of an “alliance” with its rigid obligations, while reaping all the benefits of one through deniable, “grey zone” cooperation. The lack of a formal summit was not a bug; it was a feature. It aligns perfectly with Beijing’s foundational foreign policy principle of “non-alliance” since the early 1980s, to preserve strategic autonomy and avoid entrapment in the conflicts of others. This allows China to maintain maximum flexibility while signalling alignment.
The China-Russia-North Korea alliance that needs no name | Lowy Institute
