Opinion | Can Russia and China ever have a truly equal relationship?
China and Russia are not formal allies, but their ties have grown significantly closer in recent years. The two countries have been “comprehensive strategic partnersof coordination for a new era” since 2019,. . .
China and Russia are not formal allies, but their ties have grown significantly closer in recent years. The two countries have been “comprehensive strategic partnersof coordination for a new era” since 2019, often sharing the goal of countering Western dominance in the international arena. But which nation holds the upper hand in this relationship?Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, commenting on an article in The Wall Street Journal on relations between Moscow and Beijing, said on July 14 that the Russian-Chinese partnership is “based on the principle of equality”. However, if China is Russia’slargest trading partnerwhile Russia accounts for only about 4 per cent of China’s foreign trade, can the relationship really be considered equal?Before the Ukraine crisiserupted in 2014, the European Union, rather than China, was Russia’s most significant economic partner. In 2013, EU member states accounted for roughly 57 per cent of Russian exports and 46. 5 per cent of its imports. At the time, Russia was a major supplier of natural gas to Europe, particularly Germany. Thanks to theNord Stream pipelines, Berlin received relatively cheap energy from Russia, which helped fuel Germany’s economic growth. Aware that the Kremlin was unlikely to resume business as usual with Europe, Russian strategic planners sought alternative markets for the country’s gas exports. China appeared to be the best option. President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a 30-year, US$400 billionnatural gas dealin May 2014. Russia’s energy giant Gazprom agreed to supply China with 38 billion cubic metres (1. 34 trillion cubic feet) of gas annually through an agreement finalised with the China National Petroleum Corporation.