Russian aggression boosts China’s bargaining power
With the Putin administration hard-pressed by Western sanctions, Beijing may look to take advantage
The world looked very different when Russian president Vladimir Putin and Chinese president Xi Jinping announced a grand new alliance between their countries at the start of the Winter Olympics in China in early February, touting it as a “no limits” partnership superior to Nato and other Cold War-era alliances. The former’s apparent miscalculation over the strength of reaction by Ukraine’s allies to his illegal invasion has handed the latter the upper hand in their new relationship. “The war in Ukraine has shifted the Russian-Chinese energy balance in China’s favour,” says Jan Kalicki, an energy security expert at the Wilson Center, a Washington-based thinktank. “The Kremlin must depend much

Also in this section
25 July 2025
KRG, Iraq’s central government and Turkey are all working to get exports flowing from the key port, but complications remain
25 July 2025
Mozambique’s insurgency continues, but the security situation near the LNG site has significantly improved, with TotalEnergies aiming to lift its force majeure within months
25 July 2025
There is a bifurcation in the global oil market as China’s stockpiling contrasts with reduced inventories elsewhere
24 July 2025
The reaction to proposed sanctions on Russian oil buyers has been muted, suggesting trader fatigue with Trump’s frequent bold and erratic threats