The United States of America (USA) and China have the most powerful economies in the world[i], which creates geoeconomic, geopolitical and geostrategic competition between these actors. At the same time, it can be argued that this rivalry is both regional and global in nature. Therefore, both Washington and Beijing are developing strategies against each other in the context of this competition.
Moreover, the Russia-Ukraine War that started on February 24, 2022[ii] had a significant impact on the rivalry between the US and China. This is because Beijing has a foreign policy approach shaped by its opposition to the United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
Russia, on the other hand, has an anti-Western stance dating back to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). Although this situation seemed to be changing in the early 2000s, Moscow’s foreign policy is now based on anti-Western and anti-NATO sentiments, especially after the war in Ukraine.
In addition, Beijing and Moscow are cooperating on the basis of anti-Westernism in the short term, even though in the long term, they appear to be rivals from a geopolitical perspective. In this context, China supported Moscow at the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine War because it thought that Russia would weaken the West with a quick victory; however, things did not go as planned on the ground and the war consolidated the West. This led to a change in China’s perspective on the war. However, despite these developments, it can be said that these two states have managed to build an alliance in terms of opposition to the West.
In this context, it can be stated that Washington has implemented the containment strategy against the Soviet Union during the Cold War against Beijing. This is because the US benefited from this strategy during the Cold War and gained an advantageous outcome for itself. Therefore, this action of the US against China gives a regional character to the rivalry between Washington and Beijing.
Both the regional power struggle arising from the US strategy[iii] and the unity between Russia and China in opposition to the US, NATO, and the West pave the way for Moscow to improve its ties with Beijing and to have more say in the developments in the Asia-Pacific region.
In this regard, the sighting of two Russian warships near the Taiwan Strait on June 27, 2023 was a remarkable development.[iv] Moreover, according to a report in Russia’s Interfax news agency, a ship from the Russian Pacific Fleet was also observed in the South China Sea.[v]
Moreover, on July 16, 2023, the Chinese Defense Ministry announced on the ministry’s official WeChat account that the Chinese fleet of five warships and four helicopters had left the eastern port of Qingdao and would join the Russian naval and air forces for an exercise to “ensure the security of strategic waterways” in a predetermined area over the Sea of Japan. [vi] Indeed, when Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu met with the commander of the Russian Navy, Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov, in Beijing in July 2023, both sides reiterated their commitment to strengthen military ties. [vii]
In this framework, it can be argued that China and Russia aim to send a message of unity against the West. Moreover, it can be said that Moscow also aims to show that it can take care of its eastern border while fighting Kyiv on its western border.
In short, although they are geopolitical rivals in the long run, there is a collaboration between China and Russia based on anti-Western sentiments. Expanding the scope of this cooperation could pave the way for both actors to adopt a more competitive stance against the West.
[i] “The World’s Largest Economies”, World Data Info, https://www.worlddata.info/largest-economies.php, (Date of Accession: 03.07.2023).
[ii] “Ukraine in Maps: Tracking the War with Russia”, British Broadcasting Corporation News, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60506682, (Date of Accession: 03.07.2023).
[iii] “The History of Containment Policy”, Thought Co, https://www.thoughtco.com/definition-of-containment-2361022, (Date of Accession: 03.07.2023).
[iv] “Japan Says Russian Warships Spotted Near Taiwan, Okinawa Islands, Reuters, https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/japan-says-russian-warships-spotted-near-taiwan-okinawa-islands-2023-07-01/, (Date of Accession: 03.07.2023).
[v] Russian Warships Spotted off Taiwan’s East Coast ‘on Way Home’ from Komodo Drills”, South China Morning Post, https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3225800/russian-warships-spotted-taiwans-east-coast-way-home-komodo-drills, (Erişim Tarihi: 03.07.2023).
[vi] “China, Russia to Start Joint Air and Sea Drill in Sea of Japan”, Reuters, https://www.reuters.com/world/china-russia-start-joint-air-sea-drill-sea-japan-2023-07-16/, (Date of Accession: 03.07.2023).
[vii] “China’s Defence Minister Meets Russian Navy Head in Beijing”, Reuters, https://www.reuters.com/world/chinas-defence-minister-meets-russian-navy-head-beijing-defence-ministry-2023-07-03/, (Date of Accession: 03.07.2023).
