The Sino-Russian partnership is not ready to progress into any form of formal military alliance, said Wang Haiyun, a senior consultant for the China Institute for International Strategic Studies, during the 6th World Peace Forum.
It’s definitely necessary at the moment for China and Russia to deepen their “comprehensive strategic partnership”, which allows the two countries to become “allies-to-be” on various international issues, as both the global and regional situations need them to shoulder more responsibility to spur economic growth and maintain stability, according to Wang.
But conditions are not ready for the two countries to form a formal alliance, he said. There’s still a lack of strong motivation as neither Russia nor China are currently confronted with a massive military threat from a strong enemy. A formal military alliance would require both countries to sacrifice part of their sovereignty and adjust their diplomatic principles, which are both very sensitive issues to deal with.
Meanwhile, a Sino-Russian military alliance is still likely to be relatively weak given the various alliances that the US has formed across the globe, according to Wang. An imbalanced polar structure will mean greatly increased challenges for the weaker side, he said. The alliance is also likely to trigger a strong reaction from the US, Japan and some European countries, significantly raising the chances of another Cold War, he said.
Whether a military alliance is necessary for China and Russia will depend on the degree of strategic threat the two countries face in the future, Wang said. He argued that it’s necessary though for the two countries to “lay a foundation” for any possible alliance.
Old Version
