3. Unwanted but Inevitable: Russia’s Deepening Partnership with China Post-Ukraine

This chapter highlights the impact on Sino-Russian partnership of the conflict in Ukraine and the consequent crisis in Russia’s relations with the United States and Europe. With no prospect of a return to ‘business as usual’ with the West, Moscow has gravitated toward Beijing—and far more quickly and comprehensively than anyone anticipated. And although Russia has become the junior partner in a relationship characterized by ‘asymmetric interdependence’, it now recognizes this as both unavoidable and manageable. The author identifies three structural and fundamental factors explaining the converging trend in the Sino-Russian relationship, and why Moscow increasingly views Beijing as an important partner. These three factors are the importance of stability on Russia’s eastern flank, economic compatibility, and developments in the international system.