Shift in Weight
Russia’s Military Cooperation with China
Frederik Brekk, Rima Rusnac, Richard Weitz
Deutsche Fassung
Abstract
Since the end of the East-West conflict, Russia has been supplying armaments to China. Militarily and technologically, Russia was once far superior to China. In the meantime, however, China’s defence industry is now able to produce cutting-edge technology on its own, from air defence systems and fighter planes to intercontinental ballistic missiles. The Chinese market for Russia’s defence industry is shrinking. The People’s Liberation Army still benefits from the Russian armed forces through joint manoeuvres and officer training in Russia, as these bring in lessons learned from combat in Chechnya, Syria, and Ukraine. It is only a matter of time before Russia becomes the junior partner in arms and military cooperation with China.
(Osteuropa 7-9/2023, pp. 253–262)