A month ago, in the largest military parade held on Red Square since the days of Stalin, one foreign guest drew as much attention as the fearsome hardware on display. While leading the celebrations of the 70th anniversary of victory in what Russians call “the Great Patriotic War”, Vladimir Putin had by his side the congenial Chinese president, Xi Jinping.
President Putin hoped Xi’s presence would symbolise a new, multipolar world order, with Moscow and Beijing playing leading roles. Ultimately, Russian strategic thinking continues to assume, as it has since the days of the Tsars, that military and geopolitical power precede and largely determine a nation’s wealth and prestige.
The Chinese have nothing against the Kremlin approaching power this way. Beijing sees a strong and ambitious Russia as another front for the US to worry about and expend strenuous diplomatic efforts on. As the US and Europe prepare more sanctions against Moscow, opportunities open up for China to access Russia’s mineral and energy resources, and to exert its influence on the Kremlin in matters involving the crucial Eurasian landmass.