Asia Society Policy Institute’s Center for China Analysis Launches New Initiative “Brothers Forever: Unpacking China-Russia Relations”

NEW YORK; October 11, 2023 – The Asia Society Policy Institute’s Center for China Analysis (CCA) is this week launching a timely new initiative entitled “Brothers Forever: Unpacking China-Russia Relations.”

The relationship between China and Russia is highly consequential for global peace and prosperity. The expanding ties between two of the world’s largest, nuclear-armed, autocratic states – accelerated dramatically by Russia’s war on Ukraine and the deteriorating relationship between China and the United States – are having an impact on virtually every facet of global security and economy.

“Brothers Forever” is a new ongoing series of research papers, programs, and digital content that will survey the ideological, strategic, political and economic drivers of the rapidly evolving relationship between Beijing and Moscow.

Ahead of Vladimir Putin’s reported upcoming visit to Beijing for China’s Belt and Road Forum, it kicks off today with a new online hub featuring four research papers by Senior Fellows from the Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI) examining different aspects of the Sino-Russian relationship:

• "Together and Apart: The Conundrum of the China-Russia Partnership" by Philipp Ivanov, Senior Fellow, ASPI, examines the forces unifying and dividing China and Russia in 2023, how the two countries’ relationship is affected by the ongoing war in Ukraine, and the future trajectory and global impact of the relationship.
• "Interpreting Xi Jinping's Shifting Strategy on the Russia-Ukraine War" by Guoguang Wu, Senior Fellow, ASPI's Center for China Analysis, reviews the trajectory of China’s policy on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, analyzing Xi’s calculations, miscalculations, and recalculations.
• "Unease, Not Confidence, Defines China’s 'Partnership' with Russia" by Lyle Morris, Senior Fellow, ASPI's Center for China Analysis, looks at China's calculations on Sino-Russian relations and finds that unconditional Chinese support for Russia’s war of aggression may be wavering as Beijing seeks ways to bring about an end to the conflict.
• "The Beijing-Moscow Axis: Evolving European Perspectives” by Philippe Le Corre, Senior Fellow, ASPI's Center for China Analysis, analyzes the Russia-China relationship from a European perspective, positing that most EU states are alarmed by the stronger relationship and condemn China's support of Russia.

Additionally, the online hub features “The China-Russia Conversations,” an ongoing series featuring Mr. Ivanov in discussion with leading experts in the field. The first installment, “Are China and Russia Waging a New Cold War with the West?," features Sergey Radchenko, the Wilson E. Schmidt Distinguished Professor at the John Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

A launch event will be held on Friday, October 13 at the Asia Society in New York from 8:30-9:30AM ET, with breakfast served from 8:00AM. Philipp Ivanov will moderate a discussion with Guoguang Wu, Lyle J. Morris, and Dr. Elizabeth Wishnick, Senior Research Scientist for China Studies at the Center for Naval Analyses. Register and learn more here.

To connect with any of the research paper authors or receive a comped press ticket to the launch event, please reach out to [email protected].