This cooperation is mainly embodied through major agreements related to energy and natural resources, as well as cooperation in major infrastructure projects that serve the interests of both countries.
And benefit China of Russian gas and oil to meet its growing needs, while boosting Russia Its relationship with the world’s second-largest economy in the face of Western sanctions.
Russia and China are united in their opposition to the international system dominated by Western powers, as both countries seek to reshape the global order so that they have more influence and the ability to make global decisions without submitting to Western pressure.
This is clearly evident in international forums such as: United Nations.
All these factors raise concerns in the West, which sees this alliance as a direct threat to its geopolitical influence.
Western leaders fear that such cooperation would undermine the West’s ability to impose effective sanctions or maintain military and technological superiority.
The West also fears that this alliance will be used to reshape the international order in ways that harm its strategic interests, especially in areas such as cybersecurity, energy, and the economy.
China and Iran
In this context, a report by the British newspaper, Financial Times, stated that:
- European officials are increasingly concerned about Russian military cooperation with both China andIran; in the light of sharing Moscow Its advanced defense expertise with two of its most important warfare suppliers in Ukraine.
- Chinese trade with Russia has surged over the past three years, offsetting Western sanctions and supplying components to Moscow’s arms factories.
- Iran also supplies Russia with large supplies of weapons such as attack drones.
According to the report, over the past week, American and European officials have exchanged intelligence about the amount of military knowledge and defense insights that Russia provides to China and Iran, with potentially major consequences for the future military capabilities of both countries.
US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell briefed senior officials in European Union NATO has agreed to Russia’s assistance to China with advanced submarines, missiles and stealth capabilities, in exchange for Chinese supplies of its war machine.
British and American officials have also discussed Russia’s sharing of technology with Iran that could help its nuclear weapons program — including during British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s visit to the White House.
These reciprocal arrangements raise concerns among European defense officials for two reasons.
- First, European leaders are concerned about the ability of China and Iran to use Russian technology to enhance their military capabilities and threaten their own defense assets—or those of their allies—around the world.
- Second, there is deep concern about what such moves might reveal about the Kremlin’s state of mind. In the past, Russia has been keen to protect its military advantage, especially from potential future rivals such as China. Some see the current sharing of its knowledge as a sign of growing recklessness.
Campbell said that US It shares “clear data and metrics” with its European allies on what it describes as “troubling cooperation” regarding Russian military “design, research, development and application.”
“We are cooperating closely on the next steps. It is a really worrying topic,” he said, referring to links between Russia, China, Iran and North Korea.
source of concern
Russian writer and researcher Dmitry Brezhnev, in exclusive statements to the Sky News Arabia Economy website, pointed out that the increasing cooperation between Russia and China is a source of concern for Europe on several levels. This cooperation enhances the economic and geopolitical power of both countries, which leads to a reduction in the influence of Europe On the world stage.
He stressed that European fears are increasing that this alliance could lead to the creation of a new military and economic axis that could threaten European security, especially with the escalating tensions between NATO and Russia.
Among the reasons why Europe is concerned, Brija pointed out that cooperation between Russia and China extends to vital areas such as energy and technology, and this cooperation contributes to increasing Russia’s independence and reducing the impact of European sanctions imposed on it.
China’s opening up to the Russian market could also boost Chinese influence in Central Asia, a region of great strategic importance to Europe.
“This cooperation could help boost the Russian economy, enabling Moscow to finance more military operations, such as those in Ukraine, which would heighten tensions with the West,” he added. “In addition, Europe fears that strengthening military ties between Russia and China could change the balance of power in Asia and Eastern Europe.”
He also explained that there are concerns that this Russian-Chinese axis may push other countries in Asia to get closer to this alliance, which may lead to Europe’s geopolitical isolation, adding: Chinese technology may help enhance Russia’s military capabilities, which poses a direct threat to Europe’s security. Cooperation between the two countries in the energy sector may also undermine Europe’s efforts to free itself from dependence on Russian energy.
In the context of the growing economic war between the West and China, Brija pointed out that Russian-Chinese cooperation could form a united front against European initiatives in the areas of economics and global security. The intensification of global competition, along with economic alliances such as BRICS, is also putting additional pressure on Europe, as Russia and China’s moves to increase their influence in Africa show significant geopolitical and economic changes.
Brija explained that Russia focuses more on military interests, while China focuses on commercial and economic transactions, which gave Russia the opportunity to confront Western sanctions through the flow of Chinese goods into the Russian market.
The West is an important partner for China.
For his part, Rami Al-Qalyoubi, a professor at the Moscow Higher School of Economics, explained in a special statement to the Sky News Arabia Economy website that the current global geopolitical situation clearly reveals the presence of the United States of America as a single pole that combines military and economic power, making it the dominant power in the world.
He pointed out that China and Russia together could form a second pole, as Russia is a great military power while China represents a growing economic power that aspires to be the world’s first economic destination.
Al-Qalyoubi stressed that the West’s fears, especially the United States, of a Russia-China alliance may be exaggerated. China, despite its great ambitions, cannot dispense with its economic partnership with the European Union to achieve its goals. He explained that economic relations between China and Russia are still less significant compared to China’s relations with the West, noting that many Chinese banks abide by Western sanctions imposed on Russia.
He added that the partnership between China and Russia, especially in the energy sector, aims primarily to secure oil at preferential prices, allowing China to achieve economic gains without escalating to a strategic level that would disturb the West.
He pointed out that the implementation of the pipeline project has been postponed.Siberia 2“As an example of China’s desire to maintain balance in its international relations, it is keen not to strain relations with Europe and the West.
