On 4 February 2022, when Russian President Vladimir Putin met with his counterpart, President Xi in the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics, the two leaders gave the signal that these two countries entered into a new era of their relationship. The joint statement was quite indicative for the world that being the common vision for an alternative world order, the two countries would collaborate in all the potential areas. The friendship in the official document is termed as ‘no limits friendship’ which is interesting to note that the shared interest and anti-west attitude have facilitated to deepening of their relationship. Surprisingly, in the same month, Russia invaded Ukraine.
Dr. Sriparna Pathak, an Indian sinologist points out how Russian and Chinese interests diverge in significant ways based on their number of key terms such as cooperation, mutual support, core interest, and usage of those in different contexts. However, collaborating in cyberspace has become a prominent domain of cooperation between Beijing and Moscow since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war. The alignment in language and usage of them in a similar context has been becoming a prevalent practice in recent days.
Against the backdrop of the joint statement, the collaboration in cyberspace can be seen as a part of the broader project to reshape the global information landscape. The view is also at par with Chinese President Mao’s vision of China’s grand return to the global stage- the ‘great rejuvenation.‘ Moscow and Beijing both required to be free of Western-controlled narratives, to reclaim their positions in the world. China’s dream of being the leader of the global south and Russia’s desire to get acknowledgment from European countries and be included in their bloc brought the two countries closer than ever.
Offensive-Defensive Equations of China and Russia
All the views and opinions expressed are those of the author. Image Credit – WSJ.
About the Author
Sanchaly Bhattacharya is a research associate at The Geostrata and a teaching assistant at the Jindal School of International Affairs (JSIA). She is a contributing writer for various think tanks and news media outlets such as Organisation for Research on China and Asia (ORCA), Defence and Security Alert Magazine and Modern Diplomacy. She is currently pursuing Master of Arts (MA) in Diplomacy, Law & Business from O. P. Jindal Global University (JGU) and Master of Public Administration (MPA) in Governance & Public Policy from Netaji Subhash Open University, Kolkata. She holds a Bachelors degree in Geography & Economics from West Bengal State University.
