Russia-China ties move to a ‘Higher Level’

Military cooperation between Russia and China continues to show signs of developing. 

According to Lyle J. Goldstein’, Associate Professor in the China Maritime Studies Institute at the US Naval War College in Newport, military cooperation between Russia and China continues to show signs of developing. He also pointed to more efforts by Russia and China to move bilateral military collaboration to a “higher level.”

“Since the early 1990s, Beijing’s resources helped Russia’s arms manufacturers to survive during the lean years, while Moscow has enabled China’s remarkable leap into advanced weaponry,” Goldstein said in his article published by the US magazine National Interest.

Goldstein referred the Chinese J-11, J-15, and J-16 fighter jets, which he recalled “are all potent modifications of the successful Russian design” of the fourth generation multi-role fighter Su-27.

He added that the Chinese made YJ-12 and YJ-18 supersonic anti-ship missiles are “Chinese spinoffs from Russia’s recognized missile prowess.”

“A more ambitious program of military collaboration which now seems to be in the works,” was signaled during 2014 and 2015 naval drills, according to Goldstein. Those drills took place in the Sea of Japan in August 2015 was the largest ever Chinese-Russian joint naval exercise, which notably saw “the inclusion of numerous Chinese jets that flew into Russia from China, both J-10s and J-7s, and even a PLA Air Force KJ-200 early-warning/ battle-management aircraft.”

“Deploying this uniquely valuable platform to this exercise does indeed convey the notion that China and Russia are now seeking to move the military partnership to a higher level,” Goldstein pointed out.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said last month that Russian-Chinese relations are capable of resisting any international crises.

Wang Yi also assured that temporary factors cannot prevent the two countries from enhancing their cooperation, considering relations between Moscow and Beijing as “mature and stable.”