In the wake of mounting tensions between the US and Russia over Ukraine, one now finds countless media stories on the "China-Russia axis" and the "Bond between Russia and China." The ideological benefit of connecting Russia to China is undoubtedly clear to anti-Russia hawks.
By connecting Russia to China in a new version of George W. Bush's "Axis of evil," it becomes easier to downplay calmer voices noting the many limitations Russia faces in terms of its geopolitical ambitions.
In parts of the world that matter most to them, Russia and China are more rivals than allies.
Russia sells weapons to China, but it recently reduced sales to China while increasing sales to China's rivals, most notably India and Vietnam.
The two countries share an interest in developing Central Asia, but Russia wants to tether the region to Moscow via the Eurasian Economic Union whereas China wants to reconstitute the Silk Road and link China to the Middle East and Europe while bypassing Russia.
For its part, China has as many as eighteen border disputes going on right now, and Russia continues to deal with several border issues with both Ukraine and Georgia.
In Siberia Russia and China face a low-intensity conflict over their border that is an ongoing source of division between the two states.
https://mises.org/wire/russia-and-china-arent-natural-allies-many-assume-them-be
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