Oil and Defense Water Down Sino-Russian Relations

Bill Powell, Time | May 28, 2008

In a series of recent talks, poignantly described as “bad dates,” Russian President Medvedev and Chinese President Hu Jintao were divided on issues concerning missile defense and energy resources. ++ Ready to elide almost all other bilateral concerns, China’s need to procure oil and gas seems to be shifting its arm of diplomacy towards the Middle East. ++ Given their estranged recent history, sheer size, and resource ambitions, relations between these two giants will continue to strain.