Moscow bound itself tightly to Beijing yesterday, signing energy, trade and finance deals that could soften the impact of Western sanctions but which also risk easing the ascent of one of Russia’s biggest regional rivals.
Although the two nations compete for influence across Asia, the Kremlin’s pivot away from the West this year has forced them closer together, on terms that analysts say strongly favour China.
Beijing is emerging as one of the principal beneficiaries of the confrontation between Russia and the West. The fallout from the war in eastern Ukraine has strengthened China’s negotiating position with Moscow and broken down Russian resistance to granting it privileged access to raw materials and cutting-edge military hardware. Yesterday a Chinese delegation led by Li Keqiang, the Chinese