Book talk: China-Russia Strategic Alignment in International Politics

How closely aligned are China and Russia? Why won't China condemn Putin's Ukraine war? How to define and measure strategic alignments between states? This book talk for China-Russia Strategic Alignment in International Politics (Amsterdam University Press, 2022) bridges area studies and International Relations theory to answer these questions. Post-Cold War China-Russia strategic cooperation has developed significantly and become an increasingly important factor in international politics. However, there has been no theory-grounded framework and corresponding measurements that would allow an accurate and systematic assessment of the level of China-Russia alignment and its progress over time. This book develops a set of objective criteria to measure and explain the development of strategic alignment in post-Cold War China-Russia relations. The book establishes that on a range of criteria, China-Russia alignment has been moving towards a full-fledged alliance, showing a consistent incremental upward trend. There are strong structural incentives for furthering the China-Russia alignment and the war in Ukraine is unlikely to change that trend. The alignment framework developed in the book can be applied to other cases of interstate strategic cooperation to facilitate cross-country comparisons.

Alexander Korolev is Senior Lecturer in politics and international relations in the School of Social Sciences at the University of New South Wales, Sydney. His research interests include international relations theory and comparative politics with special reference to China and Russia, great power politics, and China-Russia-US relations. His recent articles have appeared in various peer-reviewed journals, including International Relations, Foreign Policy Analysis, International Studies Review, Journal of Strategic Studies, International Relations of the Asia-Pacific, Pacific Affairs, Asian Security, and other journals.