China-Russia Relations One Year into the Ukraine War

Nearly twelve months ago, Russia launched a large-scale land invasion into Ukraine, upending the post-Cold War landscape in Europe. While the United States and NATO quickly coalesced around the defense of Ukraine, many countries in Asia and the developing world have carefully balanced their relations between Russia, Ukraine, and the West. China, for its part, has straddled several competing objectives–calling for an end to hostilities in Ukraine, yet maintaining a close strategic partnership with Russia. Amid the war in Ukraine, trade between Beijing and Moscow is on the rise. Chinese and Russian diplomats maintain frequent contact. Bilateral military exercises continue unabated. Still, little evidence suggests that China is evading Western sanctions, and Chinese diplomats continue to express rhetorical support for territorial integrity in Ukraine. How is the Ukraine war impacting China-Russia relations? Are there limits to the China-Russia partnership? Will relations between Moscow and Beijing grow more or less asymmetric in the years to come? Paul spoke with Alexander Gabuev, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Li Mingjiang, associate professor and provost’s chair in international relations at S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), and Hoang Thi Ha, senior fellow and co-coordinator of the Regional Strategic and Political Studies Programme at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute. This panel is the third of the Carnegie Global Dialogue Series 2022–2023 and is also available for online streaming.