Russia ally China doubles down on strategic alignment

China and Russia have doubled down on their "friendship" and are growing trade at a breakneck speed, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on March 7.

"China and Russia have created a new paradigm of great power relations that is completely different from the old Cold War era. On the basis of non-alignment, non-confrontation, and non-targeting of third parties, China and Russia adhere to permanent good-neighborliness and friendship," Wang said during the press conference of the Two Sessions, which kicked off on March 5, according to Newsweek.

The Two Sessions is the meeting of China's two political bodies, the National People's Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), providing a platform to discuss state matters, budgets, and economic policies for the upcoming five-year period.

China and Russia's closer relationship threatens to pose a direct long-term challenge to the United States. While China has not officially endorsed Russia's military actions in Ukraine, it has offered financial backing, a stance that aligns with Beijing's broader economic and strategic interests.

Wang emphasized the economic links between the two nations, noting a record trade volume of $240 billion last year, surpassing the $200 billion target ahead of schedule.

"Russian natural gas has entered thousands of households in China, and Chinese cars are driving in the streets of Russia, which fully demonstrates the strong resilience and broad prospects of mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries," Wang said.

Despite China's economy slowing down, trade with Russia maintains its upward trend.

"Among China's single-country trading partners, Russia's ranking has risen rapidly in recent months, with bilateral trade growing 9.3 percent to a total of $37 billion in the first two months of this year and China's exports to its neighbor rising 12.5 percent," The Financial Times reported on March 7.

China's newly appointed defense chief has also had discussions with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, focusing on enhancing military coordination. This dialogue occurs amid sustained Western efforts to isolate Russia.

"In recent years, the U.S. and the West world have been isolating Russia. We understand and care about Russia's situation all the time, and we strongly support justice. We have supported you on the Ukrainian issue even though the U.S. and Europe continue to put pressure on the Chinese side," Chinese defense chief Dong Jun said, according to a video of his interpreted remarks released online by Russia's defense ministry, Newsweek reported on February 5.

"Even defense cooperation between China and the European Union has taken a hit, but we will not change or abandon our established policy because of this, and they should not and cannot hinder normal and long-term cooperation with Russia".