Replied by Himani Pant
The India-Russia partnership stands out for the resilience it has shown over several decades despite the systemic changes in Russia and the political leadership in India. This ‘time-tested’ trust and ‘resilience’ which defines the India-Russia partnership is missing in the Sino-Russian partnership. Notwithstanding a rocky past and current apprehensions, the cooperation between Moscow and Beijing has improved over the past several years. This trend picked further momentum since 2014 when Russia’s isolation with the West broadened following the developments in Ukraine. As the policy decisions of both Moscow and Beijing in recent years reflect, both have pursued their interests independent of the other’s relations with third parties. China’s close (economic) ties with the West as well as proximity to Ukraine and Russia’s relations with India, Vietnam, and others are a case in point. As Alexander Lukin puts it, “Russia values its political and economic partnership with China but prefers not to tie its channels of cooperation to one country exclusively.” Relations with India fall well within the Russian interests in a multilateral world order as also to balance the rising clout of China.
Seen from this perspective, Sino-Russian alliance is marked by a ‘strategic convenience’ which, though economically unequal, remains mutually beneficial. While the two share several economic, political and strategic interests, both have continued to pursue their individual interests or priorities as well. In the given context, China is aware that Russia’s relations with India would follow its course regardless of the dynamics in India-China relations. However, it is interesting to note that the Chinese media does bestow a lot of attention to India’s ties with the US ‘at the cost of’ relations with Moscow.
Useful links
- https://carnegieendowment.org/files/SR66_Russia-ChinaRelations_July2017.pdf
- Lukin, Alexander. "A Russian Perspective on the Sino-Russian Rapprochement." Asia Policy 13, no. 1 (2018): 19-25.
- https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/china-russia-ties-as-a-major-determinant/article32397585.ece
- http://www.mea.gov.in/Portal/ForeignRelation/India-Russia_Relations.pdf
- https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202012/1210947.shtml
- https://www.epw.in/web-exclusives/new-sino-russian-partnership.html