Evaluation of Sino-Russian Strategic Partnership from the Russian Perspective

Abstract

In 1994 China and Russia formed a constructive partnership which was upgraded to a strategic partnership in 1996. Following this event, the two leaders, Jiang Zemin and Vladimir Putin signed the treaty of Good Neighbourliness and Friendly Cooperation in 2001 which consolidated their joint commitment to develop and strengthen their strategic partnership. A decade after the signing of the treaty, uncertainty about the depth of the Sino-Russian strategic partnership prevails. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the significance of the Sino-Russian strategic partnership from the Russian perspective.