Deutsche Welle recently produced a program delving into the relationship between dictators Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin and how their combined strength is a much greater threat. Russia has the nuclear weapons and China has an enormous economy. They are collaborating through projects such as the New Silk Road and organizations such as BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. This alternative economic and security space creates an global competitor to the United States-led order and the NATO alliance.
China in the early days looked to Stalin and the Soviet Union for direction and support, China is now the big dog. An important point the video brings out is that Xi works to treat Putin as an equal and not the junior partner. Xi has signaled to Putin that China is a true ally of Russia, even as China endeavors to appear impartial on the world stage. China doesn’t endorse Russia’s war on Ukraine, but China benefits from it, as it distracts the US and Europe from China’s aggressive movements.
The video also explores the complexities of multi-lateral relations, such as with India. Russia’s relationship with India is harmed by the closer connection with China, which has become the number one threat in the eyes of India’s public. While India desires a multi-polar world, it is being drawn towards the West over the China threat, and cooperates with Western partners in the Quad.
