The Diplomat: Will Trump Cement the China-Russia Alliance?

Trade encourages peaceful and broad-based relationships, and a US trade war targeting China could improve Chinese-Russian relations. The United States has imposed 25 percent tariffs on a variety of Chinese goods, and China has promised retaliation. The United States also challenges China on Taiwan and the South China Sea while imposing economic sanctions on Russia and criticizing its military actions in Ukraine and the Middle East. “For Russia, China is an important market and source of capital, especially in the tense political climate of U.S. sanctions,” writes Dai Weilai for the Diplomat. “For China, Russia’s stable energy supply is important in order to secure China’s economic growth.” China is Russia’s largest trade partner, and Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin have met 25 times, not to mention other high-level exchanges. The article concludes by explaining that China eschews alliances, and the Chinese and US economies are still tightly linked. US diplomacy and behavior will influence the level of China-Russia strategic cooperation, and antagonism could leave the United States isolated and empty-handed. – YaleGlobal