China and Russia: Gaming the West

In a world where economics is increasingly separated from politics, and where international relations often mix engagement policies with containment policies, there is no reason why a strong Chinese-Russian partnership cannot endure, whatever the misgivings, distrust and diversity of interests. China and Russia are not perfect partners, but the weakness of Western alliances creates opportunities for risk-free strategic convergence on a growing list of issues. China and Russia might not be able to form a functioning alliance, but can we be sure that their issue-by-issue cooperation won’t yield stronger results than existing Western alliances?

ESO: Background information: Russia’s Greater Eurasia and China’s New Silk Road: adaptation instead of competition http://www.europeansources.info/record/russias-greater-eurasia-and-chinas-new-silk-road-adaptation-instead-of-competition/

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