Views from the Pivot Point: Chinese Perceptions of Russia’s ‘Go East’ Strategy

Abstract:

The relationship between China and Russia is again making international headlines, as China and the Asia-Paci c region have become central in a new Russian strategy to establish Moscow as a ‘Euro-Paci c Power’. This new momentum on the Eurasian continent, given impetus by the Ukraine crisis and Western sanctions against Russia, plays into Chinese hands an opportunity to further strengthen the historically significant Sino-Russian relationship. Nevertheless, even though the Chinese political elite is welcoming the economic dimensions of Russia’s ‘rebalance’ as an opportunity to strengthen their own development strategies in the region, Beijing appears ambivalent to prospects of further alignment in international politics. Although internal Chinese debate on the issue can be traced, the stated views of the Chinese foreign policy elite are suggesting a policy of maximising China’s economic gains from Russia’s ‘Go East’ strategy, while seeking to avoid too strong political ties which might engender risks for China’s relations to its main markets in the US and Europe.