October 27, 2025: Officially, China and Russia are allies and trading partners. The reality is somewhat different. Both countries are constantly and quietly spying on each other. China has become the second largest economy in the world, with a GDP of nearly $19 trillion compared to Russia’s about two trillion dollars. Because of this disparity Russia is constantly trying to steal Chinese technology and reproduce it in a way that enables them to claim they also developed a similar tech. During most of the 1945-91 Cold War the Russian economy was larger, especially on a per-capita basis, and the Chinese grew increasingly bold in stealing Russian technology. While the Russians complained, they were restrained about it because they valued China as a diplomatic and military ally.

The Chinese economy didn’t begin to grow until the 1980s when China finally underwent the industrial revolution. This was something of a shock to the Russians, who thought it would take the Chinese much longer to industrialize and create an economy second only to the Americans. This is what caused the Russian envy and rampant theft of Chinese technology. By the 21st Century it also became obvious that the Chinese military had modernized to the point that China was a potential military threat to Russia. China never renounced its claims on Russian territory in the far east, where the Russian city of Vladivostok was, until 1860, the Chinese city of Yongmingcheng. The Russian Far East is already dominated economically by the Chinese, and the Russians fear that the Chinese want these territories back. Russia would probably comply because they need China as an ally and are too weak economically and militarily to resist such Chinese demands.

Meanwhile, China is already overshadowing Russia in diplomatic terms. Two years ago, China got credit for arranging a peace deal between Saudi Arabia and Iran which involved these two long-time antagonists resuming diplomatic relations and halting military operations against each other. This was a major achievement for China, which has long been neutral, or pro-Iranian, in the sometimes violent conflict between Iran and the Arabi oil states as well as most Western nations. While this preliminary agreement made for great headlines and indicated a decline in American influence in Saudi Arabia, it was not a done deal. The announcement was about intentions not actual accomplishments. Iran has a long history of violating agreements. Iran is still subject to economic sanctions by Western nations because of continued Iranian efforts to develop nuclear weapons. Armed with the ultimate weapon, Iran could more easily intimidate neighboring countries and resume its historical role as the regional superpower.

Iran, China and Russia are now allies, diplomatically if not economically and militarily. Despite that, there are still suspicions. For example, Russia has sent troops stationed on border areas to Ukraine, but still keeps somewhat more than token forces on portions of its 4,200-kilometer Chinese border. There Russia faces, for the first time, a larger, better armed, trained and led Chinese army. China has unresolved claims on most of the Russian Pacific coast territories. Russia also has a 17-kilometer border with North Korea and Russian troops are sometimes seen here as well. Since the Ukraine War began, fewer Russian troops have been seen on other foreign borders. That’s because the crisis in Ukraine demanded more troops to replace losses.

The scale and scope of Russian army losses in Ukraine is unprecedented. While air forces and navy losses were relatively minor, the SRF/Strategic Rocket Forces and their thousands of nuclear warheads still have the same number of troops so the Russian State is still secure. Neighboring China also has lots of nukes, with more of them aimed at Russia than ever before. That is not the major Chinese threat to Russia. Rather it is Russian dependence on Chinese economic and military cooperation. China remains on good terms with Russia economically and militarily. China warned Russia to back off on nuclear threats over the Ukraine War and made it clear that China considered the Ukraine War a major mistake. Before 2022, Russia and China were seen as a powerful military and economic alliance. Now the Russian military is revealed to be much less capable than previously thought. Western sanctions have devastated the Russian economy and China will benefit from that at the expense of Russia. What happened to Russia in Uk

China insists it will continue to maintain pressure against its opponents in territorial disputes. Chief among this is the Chinese effort to gain control of Taiwan plus Indian territory that China claims is illegally occupied by India. Then there is the most blatant claim of all, ownership of the South China Sea. All these claims are vigorously opposed by growing coalitions of powerful countries. Russia supports these Chinese claims, which costs Russia nothing diplomatically or monetarily. This is an example of how far Russia will go to placate the Chinese.