Russia and China: Mutually Assured Detachment

The foreign ministers of China and Russia met last week amid North Korean aggression and the potential for a U.S. deployed THAAD missile defense system in South Korea. While the threat of a nuclear North Korea is “unacceptable” to both, they are at least equally concerned about the potential for increased U.S. military presence as a result. China and Russia are “strategic partners” as the two powerhouses of the East operate in tandem when mutually beneficial yet remain unwilling to adopt formal ties.

Based on their geostrategic location, the two countries seek to shift the world order in their favor – from Western-centric towards the East. Both are pursuing territorial claims: Russia in Crimea and China in the South and East China Seas. They are becoming more active in international institutions, and they have promoted themselves as a non-Western alternative to a great power hegemon.

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