Where do Russian and Chinese foreign policy interests align?
Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Wednesday for talks expected to focus on expanding economic and strategic cooperation, as the two countries mark the 25th anniversary of a landmark friendship treaty.
Moscow and Beijing are expected to sign dozens of agreements during the two-day visit, highlighting the increasingly close alignment between the two powers on foreign policy, trade, and opposition to what they describe as Western unilateralism.
RT looks at where Russia and China align on global politics.
Multipolar world
Moscow and Beijing have increasingly aligned around the idea of a “multipolar world” – a global order they say should no longer be dominated by the West and the US in particular.
Both countries have accused Washington of abusing sanctions, military alliances, and the global financial system to preserve its dominance, while arguing that emerging powers should play a greater role in international decision-making.
Russia and China have promoted deeper cooperation through platforms such as BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, presenting them as alternatives to Western-led institutions and as pillars of a more balanced global order.
Taiwan
Russia backs the One China policy, under which Beijing views Taiwan as an inseparable part of Chinese territory. While most countries formally adhere to the policy, continued US military support for Taipei has fueled rising tensions between Washington and Beijing.
“The Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-US relations,” Xi said last week during President Donald Trump’s long-delayed visit to Beijing, warning that mishandling the issue could trigger “clashes and conflicts” between the two powers. The trip had been delayed for weeks due to the US-Israeli war with Iran.
Middle East
Moscow has condemned the US-Israeli attack on Iran as “entirely unprovoked aggression.”
Beijing has also denounced the war, warning that the fighting and the resulting disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz have fueled global energy and economic shock.
China, the main buyer of Iranian crude, has lost much of that supply since the US and Israel launched attacks in February. Russia has since ramped up oil exports to China to help offset the shortfall.
Both Moscow and Beijing have repeatedly called for the conflict to be resolved through dialogue and a diplomatic settlement.
Ukraine
China has put forward several peace proposals on the Ukraine conflict in recent years, consistently urging Moscow and Kiev to resume talks and pursue a lasting settlement that addresses the root causes of the crisis.
Russia has described the conflict as a NATO-backed proxy war triggered by the US-led bloc’s expansion toward its borders and growing influence over Kiev after the 2014 Western-backed coup.
Moscow has insisted that any durable peace deal must include Ukraine’s return to a neutral, non-aligned status, as well as its demilitarization and “denazification,” alongside the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from all territories that voted to join Russia in 2022.
