Relations between Russia and China have historically always been complex and double-edged: the two Eurasian giants shared wars and peace, conflict and cooperation, deceit and friendliness. It is probably due to several factors, among these their respective international status, their geographical proximity and extended borders, their cultural differences and their definitely diverse approaches of foreign policy, which have historically resulted in a usual Russian easier use of force in the name of territorial integrity vis-a-vis a Chinese prudent and pragmatic approach when dealing with powerful rivals. Both countries share similar political regimes, with current Russia more personal authoritarianism of Vladimir Putin, while on the other hand a Chinese single communist party rule under the leadership of Xi Jinping.

While during Stalinist times there had been an initial mutual understanding and cooperation in the name of socialist war against Western capitalism, the two countries entered into a downward spiral during Khrushchev’s administration, resulting in a general stalemate in military, economic and technological cooperation which resulted in mutual distrust and even in a little skirmish alongside the Ussuri River in 1969. In the 1970s Beijing made strategic use of triangular diplomacy to gain support and establish relations with the United States to balance its militarily more powerful soviet neighbor.

This mutual antagonism lasted until the end of the cold war, with both countries entering a new critical phase in their history: Chinese student protests in Tiananmen Square in 1989, the fall of the Berlin Wall in the same year and the final dissolution of the USSR in December 1991 created internal crisis within the two geopolitical giants, which found themselves in a really difficult situation after the breakout of Western liberal values and the promotion of democracy worldwide in the 1990s. These existential threats made Moscow and Beijing evaluate a possible new strategic partnership and collaboration to protect their national identities, values, territorial integrity, and national interests. It was with this atmosphere that the Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation between the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation was signed on July 16, 2001 by Chinese President Jiang Zemin and Russian President Vladimir Putin.