A pair of Russian Navy missile corvettes made a port call at the Chinese city of Shanghai on Wednesday, signalling closer ties between the Russian Navy and China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). The Chinese naval sailors were reportedly dressed in white parade uniforms and held placards with welcome greetings in both the Russian and Chinese languages as they lined up at the wharf to welcome their Russian counterparts, as the corvettes Gromkiy and Sovershenniy moored at the wharf of the Chinese naval base located at the confluence of the Huangpu and Yangtze Rivers.
“Long Live Friendship between Russia and China. We Heartily Welcome a Visit by a Formation of Russian Naval Ships to Shanghai,” one of the placards read, according to state media outlet Tass.
A Power Shift Between Moscow and Beijing
Even as the arrival of the Russian vessels to Shanghai could signal close ties, there is also no denying that there has been a “power shift” in the relationship between Moscow and Beijing. In fact, the visit may be overshadowed by differing versions of an exchange that occurred earlier this year between the leaders of the two nations.
This was noted by the swift response from the Kremlin to a report from the Financial Times, which stated, “Xi Jinping personally warned Vladimir Putin against using nuclear weapons in Ukraine, indicating Beijing harbours concerns about Russia’s war even as it offers tacit backing to Moscow.”
The face-to-face message was reportedly delivered during Xi’s state visit to Moscow in March, while Chinese officials have privately taken credit for convincing the Russian leader to back down from his threats to use a nuclear weapon against Ukraine.
Not So Fast Says the Kremlin
Just hours after the report was published, the Kremlin called the report a “fiction” and said no such pressure was applied over nuclear weapons.
“No, I can’t confirm it,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Wednesday when asked about the story in the Financial Times.
China is Hedging its Bets
Beijing certainly would not benefit from any type of nuclear exchange in Europe, but as The Atlantic Council noted last month, it is clear that China is already positioning itself to benefit from the outcome regardless of which side ultimately prevails. China has even been able to pocket significant gains in its relations with Russia as Moscow has grown more dependent on Beijing for its economic survival and for political support.
In the short-term, Beijing will continue to benefit from cheap Russian energy, which will support its economy and improve China’s competitive position in the world market, while a protracted war of attrition will only serve to a long-term weakening of Russia, which will further shift the Russo-Sino power balance in Beijing’s favor.
During the Cold War, before the Soviet-Sino split over differences over Marxist ideology, Moscow was the leading partner. Today, Moscow is increasingly becoming the junior partner in the new Russo-Sino relationship – and at best it is essentially a de facto marriage of inconvenience.
And like all toxic relationships, it likely can’t last long. We may have witnessed the first public spat, and it is unlikely to be the last. The question will be whether anyone else seeks to initiate a break-up.
Author Experience and Expertise: A Senior Editor for 19FortyFive, Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu.
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