The strengthening of the US position in the Asian region inevitably leads to China expanding its cooperation with Russia
This was stated by Kevin Rudd, an American expert and president of the Asia Society in New York, in his article for Foreign Affairs. According to him, Beijing hopes to double its strategic and military cooperation with Moscow amid the strengthening of the QUAD alliance. It includes the US, Japan, Australia and India. The alliance is informally referred to as “Asian NATO”.
The first summit of the four countries took place in March 2021. China sees QUAD as a serious challenge that clearly needs a response
“China will double its strategic and military cooperation with Russia. Moscow and Beijing have already pledged to expand bilateral cooperation in nuclear energy, and in a conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping in May, Russian President Vladimir Putin called Sino-Russian relations “the best in history”. From China’s perspective, Russia serves as an important military partner and, with regard to the Quartet, offers a way for China to expand geographically its strategic reach”, – Rudd wrote.
He also thinks that Japan could be a serious problem for the US. It is far from certain that it will join QUAD in any future military scenarios against China.
Beijing intends to defend its position on the world stage. The March summit proves that such plans are well-founded. Washington seeks a key role in the Indo-Pacific region, which inevitably affects Chinese interests.
In addition, the U.S. seeks to draw South Korea into its unification as well. Asian President Moon Jae-in has already visited Washington in May. And even though his state is not willing to participate in American adventures, he signed a joint statement saying “the importance of open, transparent and inclusive regional multilateralism”.
Russian troops will take part in a joint strategic exercise with China. They will take place on Chinese territory and military units arrived on the ground last week. About ten thousand troops, various types of aircraft, weapons, vehicles and equipment will take part in the manoeuvres