China-Russia relations

Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, 20 March 2023. (Sputnik/Sergei Karpukhin/Pool via Reuters)

President Xi in Moscow: From wolf warrior to peacemaker?

President Xi Jinping’s visit to Moscow, following on the heels of China’s role in brokering a Saudi-Iran deal, speaks of China’s new-found confidence as a diplomatic rainmaker.
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, China, 4 February 2022. (Sputnik/Aleksey Druzhinin/Kremlin via Reuters)

What to expect from Xi-Putin meeting in Russia

Much attention is on Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Russia, with speculation on whether China will drop its neutral stance on the Ukraine war, or stick to strengthening the fundamentals of their bilateral relationship. Zaobao correspondent Yu Zeyuan gives his analysis.
A cyclist rides on a bicycle past a house destroyed by shelling in Hostomel near Kyiv, on 19 March 2023, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Sergei Chuzavkov/AFP)

The hypocrisy of big country politics in the Ukraine war

Former journalist Goh Choon Kang notes that while Singapore’s stand against the Russian invasion of Ukraine is clear, the conditions that led to the current situation are complicated, beginning with Ukraine's internal politics that weakened it considerably for others to take advantage of.
 Russia's President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with China's director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission Wang Yi during a meeting in Moscow, Russia, 22 February 2023. (Anton Novoderezhkin/Sputnik/Pool via Reuters)

What Russia's possible collapse could mean for China

Swedish academic Stefan Hedlund points out that China is weighing its options very carefully as to how much it should intervene to ensure a stalemate or renewed freezing of conflict in the Ukraine war. From China's point of view, while there are certain gains to Russia being further weakened, Russia's total fall would also spell trouble for China.
A pigeon flies in front of the Kremlin's Spasskaya tower (left) and Saint Basil's cathedral (centre) in Moscow on 1 March 2023. (Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP)

Russia could decline into a failed state

Chinese academic Zhang Tiankan believes that while Russia looks and acts tough like a major power, it is in fact not as powerful as it thinks, or wants others to think. It has a long way to go before having the same influence as other world powers.
Rescuers work at a site of a residential building heavily damaged by a recent Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, 4 March 2023. (Stringer/Reuters)

Chinese academic: Lessons for China from the Russia-Ukraine war

Russia’s failure in winning its war in Ukraine has been largely due to its weak soft power as well as the poor performance of its weaponry, which had initially given the country false confidence in its ability to gain a quick victory. Chinese academic Deng Qingbo tells us what China can learn from Russia’s mistakes in this respect.
A local resident walks past a building destroyed by shelling, in Kupiansk, Kharkiv region, Ukraine, on 13 February 2023. (Sergey Bobok/AFP)

Is China’s peace plan without merit?

Despite China’s proposal for peace talks amid the Russia-Ukraine war, the US continues to be wary of China's intentions. Nonetheless, Russia, Ukraine and Europe have expressed support for China’s proposal to varying degrees, which signals positive progress. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Yu Zeyuan notes that eventually, peace talks will take place.
Cartoon: Heng Kim Song

ThinkCartoon

Heng Kim Song has been the freelance editorial cartoonist

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman welcomes Chinese President Xi Jinping in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 8 December 2022. (Saudi Press Agency/Handout via Reuters)

Xi's Saudi visit: Middle powers uniting in a hierarchical world

Amid the US-West realignment, developing countries and middle powers have strengthened mutual cooperation via high-level diplomacy. China’s deepening relations with Saudi Arabia and the Arab world as seen by Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent high-profile visit to Riyadh is a key sign of this development.