China-Russia Alliance Won't Topple World Order

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping may be out to hammer an anti-US coalition but the fact is that these two leaders are not winning in the game of diplomacy, or in the battlefield, as Ukraine has shown.

Photo Insert: "No-limits" friendship considered, both Russia and China have a long way to go to persuade the rest of the world that they both have the ammo and the cash to win allies.

Rather, Xi’s visit to Moscow can be seen as a game of haggling for China to play a bigger role in Central Asia, and for Putin to play the role of a Beijing vassal, analysts have said, Robyn Dixon reported for the New York Times.

Before they can propose an anti-US world order, they must first agree on who should lead, and Xi thinks he has the deep pockets to persuade Putin that, with his dream of a Eurasian empire in tatters, he must follow the dicta of the Middle Kingdom under Xi.

Putin punished himself by going to war in Ukraine and cementing a global coalition against himself supported by more than 190 nations.

Xi’s visit to Russia, just after cementing his precedent-breaking third term in power, brings together two men who have positioned themselves as leaders for life — and it sets the scene for global confrontation, with Beijing willing to use its partnership with Moscow to counter Washington, even if that means granting tacit approval to Putin’s brutal, destabilizing war.

“The grim outlook in China is that we are entering this era of confrontation with the US, the gloves are off, and Russia is an asset and a partner in this struggle,” said Alexander Gabuev, an analyst with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

It remains to be seen whether this contest will heat up, pushing three nuclear powers to the brink of World War III, or merely marks the opening chords of Cold War 2.0. Xi cannot align with India, with which it has fought at least two wars, and South Africa and Saudi Arabia are hesitant to back Russia’s bloody invasion of Ukraine.

China and Russia are also known for retreating from bloody wars—China in Vietnam and Russia in Afghanistan—in which they both lost. In short, they have a long way to go to persuade the rest of the world that they both have the ammo and the cash to win allies.

WEEKLY FEATURE : MVP Group Keeps Lights On During Pandemic