Russian, Chinese and Mongolian troops trained together for Exercise Vostok in 2018. MLADEN ANTONOV
DECRYPTION – In Moscow, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin signed an agreement ushering in “a new era” in their relationship, which is witnessing a growing power inversion at the military level.
The “new era” of Russian-Chinese relations begins with a clear imbalance at the military and technological levels. The Kremlin’s historical advantage is dwindling with Beijing’s colossal investments in its defense industry. At the beginning of March, Beijing announced a 7.3% increase in its military budget. An increase “in line with China’s military ambitions, because its army is modernizing but not yet mature,” stresses Marc Julienne, researcher and head of China activities at the Asia Center of the French Institute for International Relations (IFRI).
Sino-Russian cooperation remains strong, as evidenced by last September’s Vostok exercise or several recent naval maneuvers. The Chinese president’s visit ended on Wednesday after signing a “declaration on deepening strategic partnership and bilateral ties” the day before. But in reality, China is at least holding its own militarily…
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