The Russian & Chinese Partnership || Peter Zeihan

Historical Context

The concept of "strategic partnership" has been a long-standing diplomatic tool for Russia, often used to mask distrust and opportunism. Peter Zeihan explains that this term has historically signified alliances of convenience, where Russia expects the other party to bear the costs and remains ready to betray them when advantageous 1. This pattern is evident in Russia's past partnerships with countries like the United States, France, and Germany, and now with China.

Putin used the magic for a strategic partnership, which, for the uninitiated, sounds really important and like an alliance. But this is the phraseology that the Russians have been using for centuries when they want to say that they want a partnership with a country that they don't trust.

--- Peter Zeihan

This historical context sets the stage for understanding the current dynamics between Russia and China, where mutual distrust underlies their proclaimed alliance.

   

Geopolitical Moves

Recent geopolitical maneuvers highlight the fragile nature of the Russia-China relationship. Zeihan notes that after a summit with Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping quickly moved to engage Central Asian leaders independently, signaling a power play in Russia's traditional sphere of influence 1. This move underscores China's strategic ambitions and the precariousness of their partnership with Russia.

The more important thing is that within hours of leaving Russia, Xi Jinping of China invited the leaders of Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan and Tajikistan and Uzbekistan to a summit with just him, not the Russians.

--- Peter Zeihan

With Russia's military focus on Ukraine, China is exploiting vulnerabilities, further straining their alliance and revealing deep-seated mistrust.