Strains on the Sino-Russian Relationship

Michael Richardson, Institute of South East Asian Studies | July 8, 2008

On the surface, the strategic Sino-Russian relationship seems at an apex. ++ In reality, however, relations between the two leading Eurasian powers are being weakened by a stalemate in military sales, disputes over energy prices, and a general decline in trade due to Russia's wavering manufacturing capacity. ++ China's trade with Russia in 2007 accounted for 2 percent of China's global trade – eight times less than its trade with the US. ++ The Sino-Russian partnership seems to be "founded more on rhetoric than substance.”