#Russia
Unrest in Kazakhstan Only Solidifies China-Russia Ties
The Russian-led military operation in Kazakhstan has presented an important test for Moscow’s ties with Beijing. In early January, Kazakhstan was shaken by nationwide protests that sparked uncertainty in the central Asian nation that…
China’s “Strategic Silence” on the Poland-Belarus Border Crisis
This article is part of a series of articles authored by young, aspiring China scholars under the Future CHOICE initiative. At the beginning of December, Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko signed Directive No.9, a law aimed…
China Pulls the Economic Coercion Card Against Lithuania
In early December, Lithuanian companies began to sense the extent of the economic price they might pay for the diplomatic row between Vilnius and Beijing. What initially appeared as a moderate diplomatic response was…
Western Sanctions on Belarus’s Potash Industry Test Beijing-Minsk Partnership
At the beginning of September, the Belarusian news outlet Nasha Niva revealed that due to Western sanctions on Belarusbank, China had not paid another tranche of credit ($103 million) for the construction of the $2 billion…
Voice for CHOICE #11: Looking Into Lithuania’s Challenge to China
Lithuania has certainly not been shy about bucking the status quo in terms of relations with Beijing. Whether it be committing to a fight for freedom “from Belarus to Taiwan”, a withdrawal from the…
Russia, China, and the Prospect of US Military Bases in Central Asia
This article was originally published by the Begin–Sadat Center for Strategic Studies and is republished here with the author’s consent. The American exit from Afghanistan has created a power vacuum. The quartet of China, Russia, Pakistan,…
China’s Aims and Opportunities in Afghanistan Amidst America’s Exit
China fears the repercussions associated with the looming US withdrawal from Afghanistan as a rise of extremism in the country could spread and threaten Beijing’s key positions in Xinjiang and Central Asia. However, America’s…
China Seeks to Boost its Role in the Arctic
As of late, China has increased its engagement within the Arctic region. Natural resources, as well as new, trans-oceanic trade routes motivate Beijing to seek larger space for itself. As the region is effectively…
Why Ukraine is Reassessing its Defense Cooperation with China
In January, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an interview that he would not allow China to take control of Ukrainian enterprise Motor Sich. “Never… not under me. I am not here for life……
How China is Breaking Central Asia’s “Geographic Prison”
Though China and Russia share large incentives to cooperate, Beijing’s push into Central Asia creates a fundamental problem for Russia as the region’s geographic boundaries are redrawn through China-funded railways, tunnels and roads. The…
Fortifying 5G Networks in North Macedonia: The Need for Western Partners
On September 10, 2020, only ten days into his second term as leader of the government, the Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev met with Zhang Zuo, the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China…
The Limits of China’s Involvement in South Caucasus
As the Second Karabakh War ended, all regional players’ interests were scrutinized in detail. One power however, China, was largely absent from the analysis. Official rhetoric from Beijing indicates the continuation of China’s non-intervention…