Ukraine crisis: New concerns for the NATO as China-Russia ties strengthen

A year ago, Russia waged a special military operation in Ukraine. Due to unprecedented Western sanctions, a number of European countries severed their economic and trade ties with Russia. On the other hand, Russia and China continue to deepen their bilateral strategic cooperation without constraint.

Following the Russian military operation in Ukraine, Beijing has rejected the imposition of sanctions against Russia and has significantly expanded its trade links with the Kremlin.

So far, the Chinese government has abstained from overt military action and the supply of armaments to Russia. Similarly, the Chinese government has refrained from explicitly denouncing Russia over the Ukrainian conflict, echoing Moscow's stance that the United States and NATO provoked the ongoing hostilities in Ukraine. In fact, China believes that Washington's expansionist ambitions are the driving force behind NATO's eastern encroachment. The issue forced Moscow to abandon its policy of cooperation with the West.

For its part, Russia has strongly supported China amid tensions with the United States over the breakaway island of Taiwan, to the point where, during the recent visit of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to Moscow, Russian National Security Secretary Nikolai Patrushev described China as the top priority of Russia's foreign policy and demanded bilateral cooperation to confront the west.

Patrushev, a close confidante of Russian President Putin, stated at a joint press conference that "Russia supports China's stance on Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the Xinjiang province in contrast to Western interfering policies."

According to certain military strategists, Russia and Ukraine are now rebuilding their troops in an effort to shift the balance of power in their favour by the end of the winter season. Therefore, any shift in China's public or private position might be significant. "This is a battle of industrial systems," says retired major general Mike Ryan, a former Australian Army commander and military expert. Russia is now lagging behind Western technologies. If China enters the equation in favour of Russia, Ukraine will lose whatever technological and industrial advantages it has earned from Western nations. "Regardless of whether it is artillery ammunition, high-precision ammunition, or long-range weaponry that Russia has run out of, sending ammunition from China would complicate matters for Ukrainians," added Ryan.

On the margins of the Munich Security Conference, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg voiced alarm about the deepening of Russia-China relations and said that the alliance is carefully monitoring the expansion of military ties between Beijing and Moscow.

Stoltenberg added, "We are closely following the strengthening of China and Russia's ties." "The two countries are conducting joint war games." As part of their greater partnership, Russia and China frequently undertake joint military exercises. From February 17 to February 27, South African forces engaged in a trilateral naval exercise with Russian and Chinese troops in the KwaZulu-Natal coastline region.

By: F. Najafi