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Russia-China Cooperation in the Context of the Republic of South Africa

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On January 23, 2023, Naledi Pandor, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of the Republic of South Africa, stated that his country will host an exercise organized by China and Russia. At the same time, Pandor stated that this exercise will take place on February 17-27, 2023.[1] Given the current structure of the international system, this exercise is of great importance.

As is well known, Chinese President Xi Jinping is concerned about the prolongation of the Russia-Ukraine war.[2] This is because the war has consolidated the West. It is also argued that the damage caused to the global economy by the prolongation of the war also disturbs Xi. This is because China plays a crucial role in the global supply chain. At the same time, Beijing also has extremely intricate economic relations with the West.

Moreover, the West wants China to use its influence and influence on Russia to persuade Moscow to let Beijing end the war. This is because of the close dialogue between Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin. It is precisely in this environment that Beijing and Moscow can be said to be sending a message of unity against the West through joint exercises. This is because it is clear that cooperation between Beijing and Moscow and acting together in line with common interests is a disadvantage for the West both regionally and globally.

As a matter of fact, although China and Russia have some conflicts, it is seen that they follow a common policy in terms of opposition to the United States of America (USA) and NATO. Due to the exercises in question, it can be argued that China sees the presence of Moscow around the Indian Ocean as an advantageous situation against the West.

On the other hand, it is well known that Russia did not get what it wanted in the war in Ukraine and regressed.[3]  In such a conjuncture, it can be said that Russia is trying to send a message to the West that things are going well in Ukraine by participating in exercises in a region far from its western borders. In addition, given the proximity of the offshore of the Republic of South Africa to the Asia-Pacific region, it can also be argued that Russia is trying to show that it will stand by China in the possible Taiwan Crisis. This is because, according to the West, there is a similarity between the Taiwan and Ukraine issues, and a victory in the Ukrainian War would provide motivation to Beijing through Taipei.[4] This would therefore require the West to take into account the Russian factor in any potential crisis over Taiwan.

On the other hand, due to this cooperation with China, it can be inferred that Russia wants to play a role in the possible power and influence struggles in the eastern borders, especially in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. In this sense, this exercise may increase Russia-China unity. This unity may continue in a strong way even after the war.

However, it is known that there has been serious criticism of the exercises from the West. It is obvious that such an alliance would harm the interests of the West. Pandor has already stated that the West is silent about some exercises while criticizing others and that this is a “double standard”.[5]

At this point, it can be stated that the Republic of South Africa welcomes these exercises. Indeed, the country may consider the exercises important for its national security. In fact, Russia and China may have given some security guarantees to the Republic of South Africa. Indeed, the fact that China has a military base in Djibouti proves these inferences.[6] Because Djibouti and the Republic of South Africa are geographically very close.

All in all, it can be said that the joint exercise to be organized by Russia and China has many goals and messages both regionally and globally. It can also be argued that Moscow may want to use this unity in the future to gain Beijing’s support in the Ukraine War. However, it can also be predicted that China will not provide Russia with open support in the Ukraine War. Rather, Beijing stands side by side with Moscow in the context of the search for multipolarity in order to send a message to the West.


[1] “South Africa Defends Planned Military Drills with Russia and China”, Reuters, https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/russias-lavrov-visits-ally-south-africa-amid-western-rivalry-2023-01-23/, (Date of Accession: 06.02.2023).

[2] “U.S. Official Says China Is Uncomfortable with Russia’s Rhetoric, Activity in Ukraine”, The Wall Street Journal, https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-official-says-china-is-uncomfortable-with-russias-rhetoric-activity-in-ukraine-11668405751, (Date of Accession: 07.02.2023).

[3] “Russia’s Withdrawal from Ukraine’s Kherson City Explained in Maps”, Al Jazeera, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/11/10/russia-withdrawal-from-ukraines-kherson-explained-in-maps, (Date of Accession: 07.02.2023).

[4] “Taiwan and Ukraine: How Two Crises, 5,000 Miles Apart, Are Linked, The Indian Express, https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-global/how-taiwan-ukraine-crises-are-linked-8069763/, (Date of Accession: 07.02.2023).

[5] “Lavrov Visit to South Africa: Pandor Defends Joint Russia-China Military Exercise, BBC News, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-64373448, (Date of Accession: 07.02.2023).

[6] “More Chinese Military Bases in Africa: A Question of When, Not If”, Foreign Policy, https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/08/16/china-military-bases-africa-navy-pla-geopolitics-strategy/, (Date of Accession: 07.02.2023).

Zeki Talustan GÜLTEN
Zeki Talustan GÜLTEN
Zeki Talustan Gülten graduated from Yalova University, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Department of International Relations in 2021 with his graduation thesis titled "American Foreign Policy" and from Anadolu University, Open Education Faculty, Department of Foreign Trade in 2023. Gülten, who is currently pursuing her Master's Degree with Thesis at Marmara University Institute of Social Sciences, Department of International Relations, was a student at the Faculty of International and Political Studies at Lodz University for a semester within the framework of the Erasmus+ program during her undergraduate education. Working as an Asia-Pacific Research Assistant at ANKASAM, Gülten's main areas of interest are American Foreign Policy, Asia-Pacific and International Law. Gülten is fluent in English.