Foreign Affairs: US should deter China from deepening ties with "axis of losers"

As China deepens its connections with Russia, Iran, and North Korea, the United States faces a strategic opportunity to make clear to President Xi Jinping that closer ties with this coalition, dubbed by some as the "axis of the 21st century," could be detrimental to China's own interests.

Foreign Affairs suggests that the U.S. should strategically highlight the downsides for China in aligning with these states, showing that cooperation with Russia, North Korea, and Iran is more a path to global isolation than influence.

According to the article, while this emerging axis may not constitute a formal alliance, it is a growing cooperative front united in opposition to U.S. policies and the established international order. China’s partnership with Russia, notably anchored in the personal bond between Xi and Putin, is seen as a key aspect of this coalition’s resilience.

Yet, Foreign Affairs emphasizes that China’s interests might diverge more than align with this group. While Russia, North Korea, and Iran remain outside the core of the global economy, China plays a crucial role within it, and a close association with these nations could expose Beijing to severe economic repercussions, especially if secondary sanctions are imposed for crossing diplomatic red lines, like supplying arms to Russia.

Some experts suggest attempting to divide the so-called axis, but former U.S. Secretary of State and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice proposes a different approach: “pushing them together and making them deal with the consequences of the fact that they don't really have much in common.”

Rice argues that isolating Russia is unlikely to succeed due to the support Moscow currently receives from allies in light of the Ukraine conflict. Likewise, Foreign Affairs notes that attempting to distance North Korea or Iran would likely require concessions no U.S. administration would consider feasible.

The publication points out that, unlike its axis partners, China is deeply embedded in the global economy. The threat of large-scale secondary sanctions if Beijing crosses the line by providing arms to Russia could result in significant economic repercussions. Aligning with Russia, North Korea, and Iran could not only undermine China’s ambitions to lead a new world order but could also harm Xi Jinping’s standing domestically and internationally.

The authors suggest that with the right strategy, the U.S. could persuade China that its own interests would be better served by distancing itself from this “axis of losers.”

By Tamilla Hasanova