Russia and China: Brothers again?

This article provides a balance sheet for the emerging Sino-Russian strategic partnership and examines its potential as an alliance.⁵ It is argued that strategic and political concerns bring the two neighbors together, creating the foundations for an incipient alliance and fertile ground for new triangular maneuvering. Nevertheless, divergent interests over issues such as Asian security, missile defense, and economic and regional cooperation exert countervailing pressures and set limits to the partnership. Neither the forces bringing Russia and China together nor the pressures pulling them apart should be underestimated-the Sino-Russian partnership has real substance but also many underlying tensions. Domestic developments in China and Russia, and U.S. policy toward both countries, will be key in setting the parameters for Sino-Russian partnership in the years to come.