The Bear And The Dragon
Why Russia and China will never be friends.
Russia and China may appear united against the West, but under the surface their alliance is anything but solid.
Are they fated to stay rivals forever, despite their shared goals?
I argue that it’s very likely.
“Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer,”
Sun Tzu wrote in The Art of War.
But what happens when your friend is also your biggest rival?
Russia and China are often presented as authoritarian twins, yet the reality is far more complex.
Both may share a big disdain for the West, but that’s about where their similarities end.
Different Political Systems
In 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea, the world watched as Moscow flexed its muscles.
It was a bold move, and it had signaled a return to Russia’s Cold War-era focus on dominance.
This kind of unilateral action fits neatly into Russia’s leadership model, where Vladimir Putin has a personalized grip on power.
