The Sino-Russian strategic partnership: historical background and current state

This article provides an overview of the China-Russia strategic partnership, which is widely promoted by the governments of both countries as a special and exclusive relationship between the two countries in a new era. The article examines why China and Russia, who have historically been rivals or even adversaries, have recently established a framework of close partnership and cooperation that they call “unprecedented in history.” The article discusses a number of topics, including: the logic and dynamics of the historical development of China-Russia relations at various stages; definitions of the concept of strategic partnership and its application in China’s foreign policy, especially in relations with Russia; China-Russia relations as a special case of partnership in political rhetoric and realpolitik (economic, military, diplomatic cooperation), with special attention to Russia’s war in Ukraine and China’s position on it; issues and contradictions in the China-Russia strategic partnership. A common feature of the China-Russia partnership and cooperation is the efforts of both sides to create a viable counterweight to US hegemony and to create a new, multipolar world order, which both countries consistently strive for. The author raises the question of the strength and sustainability of the Sino-Russian strategic partnership in the long term and speculates that, depending on geopolitical and domestic political developments in both countries, such a partnership could change radically, as has happened repeatedly in history. The article concludes with a couple of speculative hypotheses about where the development of the Sino-Russian strategic partnership might lead.