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How China Made Russia Its Junior Partner

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How China Made Russia Its Junior Partner
Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and Chinese leader Xi Jinping enter a hall during a meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, on March 21, 2023. Alexey Maishev/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images
Richard A. Bitzinger
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Commentary

When Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin met in March, it was to firm up a new Sino–Russian strategic partnership crafted last year. Yet there is always a hierarchy in every alliance, and it is increasingly apparent that Russia is the junior partner in this relationship.

Richard A. Bitzinger
Richard A. Bitzinger
Author
Richard A. Bitzinger is an independent international security analyst. He was previously a senior fellow with the Military Transformations Program at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) in Singapore, and he has held jobs in the U.S. government and at various think tanks. His research focuses on security and defense issues relating to the Asia-Pacific region, including the rise of China as a military power, and military modernization and arms proliferation in the region.
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