Latest news with #Sino-Russian


Memri
5 days ago
- Politics
- Memri
Russian Media Outlet RuNews24: 'China Openly Sides With Russia; The Game of Neutrality Is Over; Why This Changes Everything'
On July 20, 2025, Russian media outlet RuNews24 wrote an analysis titled "China Openly Sides With Russia; The Game of Neutrality Is Over; Why This Changes Everything." During a meeting with Kaja Kallas, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Chinese FM stated that Beijing cannot allow Russia to lose the war in Ukraine. According to RuNews24, the world enters a new phase of confrontation, with the U.S. and its allies on one side and the emerging Sino-Russian alliance on the other, which no longer hides its intentions. Meeting of Russian and Chinese Foreign Ministers Sergey Lavrov and Wang Yi in Beijing, July 13, 2025. (Source: Chinese Foreign Ministry).[1] Below is RuNews24's article:[2] Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi: "Beijing Cannot Allow Russia To Lose The War Against Ukraine" "Just the other day, an event took place that finally dotted all the i's. During a four-hour meeting with European Union head of diplomacy Kaja Kallas, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said something that had previously been heard only on the sidelines [of international events]. 'Beijing cannot allow Russia to lose the war against Ukraine, as this will grant the United States an opportunity to fully focus on China,' said Wang Yi, thereby completely contradicting China's previously iterated neutral stance in the conflict. These words came as a bolt from the blue for European diplomats. This is the first time a Chinese official of such [high] rank had openly acknowledged that Beijing had a direct interest in Russia not losing the war." "Drones That Changed The Game" "But even before this diplomatic acknowledgement, the world saw more concrete actions on the part of China. Zelenskyy stated that 'the Chinese 'Mavic'[3] is open to Russians but closed to Ukrainians.' According to him, 'there are production lines on Russian territory where Chinese representatives work.' "He was talking about the popular DJI Mavic drones, which have become a true workhorse of the SVO.[4] By design, these are ordinary civilian quadcopters for aerial photography, but on the battlefield, they have become the 'eyes' and 'hands' of armies – they are used for reconnaissance and can carry explosives to strike targets. "European officials have confirmed Zelenskyy's words. According to Ukrainian foreign intelligence, 80 percent of critically important electronics for Russian drones are of Chinese origin. What's more, China supplies arms components to 20 Russian military factories." "What's Behind The Numbers" "The scale of China's support for Russia is staggering. Shipments of dual-use goods from China to Russia again exceeded four billion USD in 2024, despite threats of secondary sanctions on the part of the US. During the period of February 2022 – February 2025, [Chinese president] Xi Jinping and [Russian President] Vladimir Putin met and/or spoke on the phone 10 times. Foreign Ministers Wang Yi and Sergey Lavrov held 18 meetings. The frequency of these interactions exceeds any other bilateral relationship for both China and Russia." "Economic War In The Shadows" "Russo-Chinese trade relations also speak for themselves. The share of the Chinese yuan in Russia's international trade has risen sharply since the start of the SVO and subsequent Western sanctions. Before the war, yuan settlements accounted for less than 2 percent of Russia's total trade [settlements], but have grown rapidly, exceeding 30 percent in the beginning of 2023. "China became a critically important market for Russian gas, helping to offset losses from Europe [European export]. Russia began exporting natural gas to China through pipelines in 2019 with the launch of 'Sila Sibiri – 1' pipeline (Power of Siberia-1), which is set to reach full capacity of 38 billion cubic meters [of natural gas] per year by 2025." Why China Is No Longer In Hiding "Beijing has realized a simple truth: China will be left face-to-face with the collective West if Russia loses. Military conflict [in Ukraine] demands a significant portion of the resources of the United States and its European allies. Contrary to its propaganda narrative, China has little interest in a prompt settlement of the conflict via the talks. "In May of 2025, Presidents Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin issued a joint statement defining new areas of cooperation between China and Russia, including upcoming economic, diplomatic, and military agreements. Both used particularly harsh language in their individual statements, condemning the 'unilateralism, hegemonism, hooliganism, and coercive practices' of the United States. "For Ukraine, the new conditions pose serious problems. Previously, Russia fought almost alone, relying mainly on its own resources. Wherein, Ukraine received assistance from many Western countries – in the form of arms, money, and technology. But now the situation is starting to change. "Now Russia not only increased drone production, but also received support from China, the world's second largest economy, which has huge manufacturing capabilities. This gives the Russian army new advantages and allows it to assert more pressure on the positions of Ukrainian troops." "The New Global Balance Of Power" "In the context of Russia's dispute with the West and the military conflict in Ukraine, China has become the Kremlin's most important and irreplaceable aide. As a result, Sino-Russian relations continue to deepen. "The system that the two countries have been developing for more than three decades, currently dubbed as a 'comprehensive strategic coordination partnership for a new era,' has practically evolved into an informal anti-American alliance and has proven effective in practice. "There is bad news for Americans here too. The proxy war against Russia is too costly for America – we are talking not only about financial costs, but also about the expenditure of military resources. Instead of accumulating military equipment in case of a possible war with China over Taiwan, which, according to analysts, may break out sooner or later, the U.S. is forced to spend everything on the Ukrainian front. "China has demonstrated that it is willing to risk its relations with the West for the sake of a strategic alliance with Russia. "The world enters a new phase of confrontation, with the U.S. and its allies on one side and the emerging Sino-Russian alliance on the other, which no longer hides its intentions. "And this is just the beginning."


Express Tribune
21-07-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Sino-Russian cooperation and the world order
"Beijing and Moscow should work to unite countries of global South and promote the development of the international order in a more just and reasonable direction," said Chinese President Xi Jinping during his conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the occasion of the SCO Foreign Ministers meeting in Tiangin, China last week. The two sides called for strengthening mutual support for multilateralism, stability and peace for a just global order, while countering the West-led order. According to an AI overview, "Sino-Russian strategic cooperation, particularly within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), plays a crucial role in regional stability and development. Both nations view the SCO as a platform for enhancing their comprehensive strategic partnership and addressing common challenges. This cooperation extends to various fields including security, economics, and cultural exchange, with both countries actively working to strengthen the organization and ensure its success". Russian president Vladimir Putin is expected to visit China on the occasion of SCO summit to be held in August 2025 in which it is expected that the two global giants will examine in detail how to play a leadership role in the prevailing world order. US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose maximum tariff on Russia and provide military support to Ukraine through NATO. In the aftermath of the Iran-Israel war and West's unequivocal support to the Jewish state, it is expected that Moscow and Beijing will deepen their strategic cooperation under the platform of BRICS and SCO in order to provide an alternate leadership in world order. Majority of members of BRICS and SCO are supportive of the Sino-Russian strategic partnership and argue that if the two great powers remain united, an alternate to the US dollar and its biased trade policies may be agreed upon. How can the Sino-Russian strategic partnership help ensure peace, stability and multilateralism and why does the Trump administration perceive the leadership role of Moscow and Beijing in BRICS and SCO a major threat to its interests? Will Sino-Russian strategic partnership sustain in the post-Putin and post-XI era and how will the two powers reshape their role in providing an alternate world order once the leaderships of Putin and Xi are part of history? For decades China and the defunct USSR were adversaries but following the visit of Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev to Beijing in May 1989 and the collapse of the Soviet Union in December 1991, the two neighbours forged a new relationship based on strategic partnership while freezing their unresolved territorial issues. Certainly, the West had benefited from the Sino-Soviet rivalry, but the replacement of the Russia-China animosity with friendship and meaningful cooperation challenged the US-led unipolar world. Certainly, a multipolar world is the vision of Russia and China which is gradually transforming into a reality. Certainly, the US still dominates the world economic, military and technological order. With an economy of 28 trillion dollars and defence expenditures amounting to 900 billion dollars, America is still in a commanding position. Technologically also, the US is superior to Russia and China. But, with a huge debt of 37 trillion dollars, American economy is in dire straits. Russia, China and other ambitious powers want to take advantage of the US economic fault lines and its growing use of hard power, making it unpopular in different parts of the world. One can figure out three major aspects of the Sino-Russian strategic partnership in the world today. First, the success of China in focusing on its economy and the failure of Russia to disengage itself from conflicts in its neighbourhood, particularly the war with Ukraine. China's rise as the world's second largest economy was because of its focus on development and the application of soft power like diplomacy, aid, investments and trade instead of military involvement in its neighborhood. This is not the case with Russia which has its ambitions in former Soviet republics. Its occupation of Crimea in 2014 and attack on Ukraine in February 2022 not only led to worldwide condemnation but imposition of sanctions. The Russian economy also suffered heavily because of its war with Ukraine. President Trump who had a soft corner for Putin is now forced to take a hard stance on Russia's refusal to accept American plan for ending the Russia-Ukraine war. It means Russia is in dire straits and its efforts to widen its support base through BRICS and SCO cannot yield positive results. Second, China needs to convince the Russian president to reverse its policy of hard power and withdraw forces from Ukraine. If Russia is unable to listen to Beijing's advice, it would mean further deepening of Moscow's military and economic losses in its war with Ukraine. When one major power in BRICS and SCO is not at peace, how can the Sino-Russian strategic partnership strive for a multipolar world? Presently, India is not happy with the Trump administration over the manner in which it dealt with the May 7-10 armed conflict with Pakistan and took the credit for the ceasefire. For India it is the ideal opportunity to put its weight behind the Sino-Russian strategic partnership so as to exert maximum pressure on Washington. Iran is also supportive of a multipolar world because it has suffered the most at the hands of America over the last several decades. South Africa is against the blatant US support to Israel, and the manner in which the American President dealt with the South African President during his meeting at White House proves growing cleavage between South Africa and the Trump administration. Likewise, other members of BRICS and SCO are also not supportive of the perceived American hegemonic designs and subscribe to the Sino-Russian strategic partnership to break the US dominance in the prevailing world order. Finally, the forthcoming SCO summit in China provides a valuable opportunity for member countries to forge consensus on striving for a multipolar world. For that purpose, it is essential that contentious issues among SCO members are resolved through diplomacy. Notable in the context is the rivalry between India and Pakistan, the two nuclear-armed SCO members. Without bringing peace between the two, it will not be possible for Russia and China to transform the US-led world order.


Time of India
21-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Why Chinese hackers have unleashed cyberattacks on 'friend Russia' since Ukraine conflict, what 'war secrets' are behind these attacks
AI Image Cyber analysts have reportedly discovered a strange cyberwarfare trend. According to a report by New York Times, quoting security researchers, since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, groups linked to the Chinese government have repeatedly hacked Russian companies and government agencies in an apparent search for military secrets. There has been increase in Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Chinese government-linked hackers have repeatedly targeted Russian companies and government agencies, seeking military secrets, according to the New York Times report. The cyberattacks, which intensified in May 2022, have persisted despite public declarations of a 'no-limits' partnership between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Chinese hacking groups 'targetting' Russian businesses The report claims that a Chinese hacking group, Sanyo, impersonated a Russian engineering firm's email addresses in 2023 to steal data on nuclear submarines, as uncovered by Taiwan-based cybersecurity firm TeamT5, which linked the attack to Beijing. 'China likely seeks to gather intelligence on Russia's activities, including on its military operation in Ukraine, defense developments and other geopolitical maneuvers,' TeamT5 researcher Che Chang told the Times. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo A classified Russian FSB document, obtained by The New York Times, reveals Moscow's concerns about China's pursuit of Russian defense technology and battlefield insights, labeling China an 'enemy.' This contrasts with the public Sino-Russian alliance, as Russia relies on China for oil markets and war-critical technology. The document highlights China's interest in drone warfare and software, noting that 'the war in Ukraine fundamentally shifted intelligence priorities for both countries,' according to Itay Cohen of Palo Alto Networks, as quoted by the Times. What techniques Chinese hackers are said to be using against Russia The New York Times also reports that Chinese hackers targeted Rostec, Russia's state-owned defense conglomerate, for satellite communications and radar data, using malicious Microsoft Word files to infiltrate aviation and state entities. Groups like Mustang Panda, suspected of ties to China's Ministry of State Security, have hit Russian military and border units, the Times notes, citing Rafe Pilling of Sophos. Pilling told the Times, 'The targeting we've observed tends to be political and military intelligence gathering.' Proprietary malware like Deed RAT, used by Chinese state-sponsored hackers, has been deployed against Russian aerospace and defense sectors, the report said, citing Positive Technologies. Despite 2009 and 2015 agreements barring mutual cyberattacks, the Times notes that experts view these as symbolic, with hacking spiking post-Ukraine invasion. 'The activity — we saw it immediately in the months following Russia's full-scale invasion,' Cohen told the Times, highlighting the tension beneath the public narrative of Sino-Russian unity. AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now


The Star
18-06-2025
- Business
- The Star
Russian investment fund to cooperate with Chinese digital trade platform
MOSCOW, June 18 (Xinhua) -- The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and Qifa, a Chinese-founded B2B digital trade platform operating across the Russia-China corridor, inked a strategic partnership on Wednesday at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) to advance cross-border digital trade and expand bilateral commerce. The collaboration agreement, signed on the sidelines of the forum, underscores joint efforts to modernize trade processes through technological integration. "RDIF and Qifa, a Russia-China B2B digital trade platform, have agreed to partner in developing digital trade and scaling bilateral trade volumes," the fund stated in a press release. According to RDIF, the initiative will harness AI-driven solutions to streamline trade workflows, enhancing transparency and operational efficiency for businesses. This, in turn, is expected to drive product assortment expansion and cost optimization -- key levers for accelerating trade growth in line with bilateral strategic objectives. "China leads in trade volume with Russia, with a robust e-commerce ecosystem already in place. RDIF's focus on facilitating market access for Sino-Russian enterprises makes this partnership with Qifa an important step in elevating cross-border digital trade," said Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of RDIF, in a statement. The 28th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum runs from June 18 to 21 this year, gathering delegates from over 100 countries and regions.


India.com
14-05-2025
- Science
- India.com
These two nations join hands up to build a nuclear power plant on the moon; not US, UK, France, India, Japan, they are...
(Representational Image/AI-generated) In a major development that could once again trigger a new space race between major world powers, China and Russia have teamed up to build a nuclear power plant on the Moon. According to reports, the revolutionary project, which is expected to be completed by 2036, will power International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), another major undertaking led by the two allies. The announcement comes at a time when US space agency NASA has called for cancellation of its planned orbital station on the Moon in its 2026 budget proposal, while its Artemis program– which aims to send American astronauts back to the moon after nearly five decades– is facing challenges due to delays and budget cuts. Sino-Russian lunar nuclear power plant to power ILRS As per reports, China and Russia recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a permanent human base on the lunar south pole, and build a nuclear power plant that will power the base and the ILRS– a revolutionary project designed for scientific research and long-term unmanned operations, including the possibility of future human presence on the Moon. Yury Borisov, General Director of Russian space agency Roscosmos, said the nuclear plant will be built 'without human presence', hinting at advanced robots carrying out the construction on the lunar surface. Borisov did not provide any details on the technology required for such an endeavor but said the pre-requisites are 'almost ready'. As per details, the construction of the lunar nuclear plant is scheduled to begin between 2030 and 2035, and expected to completed by 2036. The foundation stone for the ILRS will be laid in 2028 with China's Chang'e-8 mission, its first manned mission to the Moon. What is the ILRS mission, and why its a gamechanger? The International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), is an ambitious project jointly led by China and Russia, which aims to establish a permanent human-controlled base on the moon's south pole for conducting scientific research. First announced by Moscow and Beijing in June 2021, it now includes as a many as 17 other countries, including Pakistan, Egypt, Venezuela, Thailand and South Africa. The ILRS will be constructed using materials shipped via five super heavy-lift rocket launches from 2030 to 2035, and the station is planned to be expanded by 2050 to include an orbital space station, two nodes on the moon's equator and its far side. The ambitious lunar research station will be powered by solar, radioisotope and nuclear generators, and will feature high-speed communication networks on the Moon-Earth and lunar surface, lunar vehicles and manned rovers. The ILRS aims to provide a major technological footing for humans on the moon for research, long-term unmanned operations, and also aims to serve as a base for manned missions to Mars. China's rapidly expanding space program Notably, China has rapidly developed its space program over the las decade, landing its first lunar rover in the 2013 Chang'e-3 mission. Since then, Beijing has sent several rovers to the moon and Mars, collecting samples from the near and far sides of the moon and mapping the lunar surface. China's Chang'e-8 mission aims to land Chinese astronauts on the moon by 2030, as Beijing looks to cement its place as the undisputed global leader in space research and missions, replacing its rival, the United States.