Washington woven a series of security and political alliances (Okos-Quad), and escalated its statements in defense of Taiwan, while mobilizing its allies in Europe and imposing 6 packages of sanctions against Moscow to paralyze the Russian economy after the Ukraine war.
On the other hand, Moscow and Beijing have, in recent years, established closer military and diplomatic relations in light of their tense relations with the West through political and economic partnerships and joint military exercises. Since 2012, Moscow and Beijing have been conducting regular naval maneuvers.
Ahead of the Ukraine war, the two countries negotiated a 30-year contract for Russia to supply China with gas through a new pipeline, blocking a request from Washington that the United Nations impose additional sanctions on North Korea over new missile tests even though the two countries had agreed to impose similar sanctions before. She did not describe the Russian military operation in Ukraine as an invasion and did not vote against it in any international forum.
According to the “Wall Street Journal”, the “courtship of the two countries” culminated with the joint statement during the Beijing Olympics, which said that their partnership “has no limits,” which some Biden administration officials see as a turning point in Sino-Russian relations and a challenge to American and European power.
During Biden’s visit to Japan, and his attendance at the summit of the Quad Quadruple Alliance, which in addition to his country includes Australia, India and Japan, and after his controversial statements about Washington’s willingness to intervene militarily against Beijing in the event of its attack on Taiwan, the response came quickly, as Russian and Chinese fighters conducted joint exercises to patrol in Asia Pacific region.
And Chinese state media quoted the Chinese army as saying, on Wednesday, that it had recently conducted a military exercise on Taiwan as a “serious warning” to the United States against the consequences of its interaction with the country that China considers part of its territory.
Messages to America and the West
Commenting on this, an analyst specializing in international security and political affairs, Mitchell Belfer, said that “since the Ukraine war, Russia has found itself in economic and, to a large extent, politically isolated from many of its former partners around the world, Russia has been communicating with China in an attempt to balance its position world and the loss it has incurred in terms of its economic capabilities.”
Belfer, who is director of a research center in Rome, added to “Sky News Arabia” that the messages coming from Beijing regarding air maneuvers during the Quad Summit were to show the Americans that China and Russia stand together. However, what separates Moscow from Beijing is greater than what unites them, and they are two soft rivals in Central Asia as well as in East Asia. It is also important to remember that Russia has a very strong relationship with India as China is closer to Pakistan and views India from the perspective of strategic competition, so there are many points of contention.
He noted, “Both China and Russia are members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) but they do not have teeth. If they engage in a joint defense alliance, it will be in Beijing’s favour, given the fact that Russia now has its back against the wall, and has proven that it cannot withstand a major conventional military strike. “.
He continued, “China has much more influence than Russia, because it is really a global economic power. China is trying to ward off any attempts by the United States and the European Union to spread their economic power against Beijing, because as we have seen that economic power can actually be crippled, and China is very keen to avoid This scenario is where there is a growing willingness in Beijing to intervene in Taiwan, so they may try to create a defense mechanism.”
He emphasized that “the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union have not paid enough attention to what kind of military lines will be formed between Russia and China, but they should. A lot of people are worried about going to the last war, and not enough people are worried about what form it will take.” It will look like the next war. It may be time for the West to cut a side bargain with China.”
America’s policy reason
While the academic and strategist, Andrew Boyfield, considered that America’s policies after the end of the Cold War and the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the Eastern system are major reasons for the rapprochement between Moscow and Beijing, stressing that what is happening is the beginning of the end of the unipolar system in favor of a multipolar world and blocs.
Boyfield added, to “Sky News Arabia”: “Both Beijing and Moscow view their partnership as a key to confronting a world dominated by the United States at a time when they share resources and technology. “.
He explained that what unites them is the position of the two countries on US policy towards them, and with China’s desire to regain control of Taiwan, it realizes that what happened with Russia is close to it, and therefore Beijing is working to prepare well through an economic and defense alliance with Moscow with the aim of developing banking and financial systems that attract the accession of other countries. enabling it to face any Western repercussions, pointing out that it is not a product of the moment, but over the course of two decades there have been extensive partnerships between the two sides.
He pointed out that the United States has put confronting China at the heart of its national security policy for years, and the Biden administration described competition with China as “the biggest geopolitical test” in the current century, which requires deterrence plans by Beijing, and it will not find a better partner than Moscow under pressure. imposed on it by the West.
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