Russia's President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with his China's counterpart Xi Jinping (RIA Novosti/Mikhail Klimentiev)

No, Russia and China Aren’t Teaming Up Against America -- Kyle Mizokami, War Is Boring

The odd couple of totalitarian regimes is less powerful than you think.

In mid-November, Russian defense minister Sergey Shoigu flew to Beijing for high-level military talks. Shoigu was scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Li Keqiang and Defense Minister Chang Wanquan to discuss “current issues of international and regional security and bilateral military and military-technical cooperation,” according to the Russian Tass news agency.

The prospect of a Russian-Chinese axis might sound scary to Westerners. But it’s not, really. Russia and China are both weaker than they appear. And they have as many reasons to compete as they do to cooperate.

And even if they do get along, the combined military power of Russia and China combined is only slightly more formidable than either country going to war separately.

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My Comment: In my opinion .... there is zero chance of a Russian - Chinese military alliance. Both countries may be in the process of expanding and modernizing their military .... but their national defense policies are focused more on their own regional/border problems and issues rather than on the West. If there will be an alliance against the West .... it will primarily on political and economic issues .... specifically on diminishing the role that Western financial institutions (WTO, IMF, World Bank, etc.) have on influencing broader global economic policies that may at times come in conflict with what China and Russia may want.