ABSTRACT
This chapter attempts to capture the changing dynamics of Russian–Chinese relations. Russia had been attempting to pivot towards China even before the Ukrainian crisis entered its acute stage in early 2014. Russia and China were destined to have pursued deeper cooperation, even if China had not been rising so dramatically, if only because the two states share a number of interests. They seek to deepen mutual economic ties, with Russia interested in selling and China interested in buying Russian oil and gas. In addition to maintaining a robust military deterrent to dissuade China from contemplating any armed attack on Russia, Moscow has also taken diplomatic steps to prevent such an attack. China has become Russia's biggest individual trading partner, although collectively, the EU trades more. China's role in ensuring Russia's ability to both import and export has increased significantly since the introduction of Western sanctions on Russia in the wake of the Ukraine crisis.
