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Nuclear issues have historically played an important role in the development of relations between Moscow and Beijing, acting as a source of both potential discord and emergent cooperation. Cooperation by China and Russia to strengthen their respective nuclear deterrents is already an important factor in international security and could grow in importance over time. CSS' Brian Carlson's book chapter assesses actual China-Russia cooperation in nuclear deterrence to date, as well as the potential for further collaboration in this area. Nuklearfragen haben historisch gesehen eine wichtige Rolle bei der Entwicklung der Beziehungen zwischen Moskau und Peking gespielt und als Quelle sowohl für potenzielle Zwietracht als auch für eine entstehende Zusammenarbeit gedient. Die Zusammenarbeit von China und Russland zur Stärkung ihrer jeweiligen nuklearen Abschreckung ist bereits ein wichtiger Faktor für die internationale Sicherheit und könnte mit der Zeit an Bedeutung gewinnen. Das Buchkapitel von CSS Forscher Brian Carlson bewertet die bisherige Zusammenarbeit zwischen China und Russland bei der nuklearen Abschreckung sowie das Potenzial für eine weitere Zusammenarbeit in diesem Bereich.

China and Russia are jointly advancing their shared interests in the international arena and increasing their cooperation in the tech sector. Despite far-reaching plans, the asymmetry of cooperation in favour of China is increasingly at odds with Russia’s national goals in digital technology. Differences in resources and standpoints are also reflected in the implementation of digital surveillance. China’s surveillance system is sophisticated and extensive, whereas Russia’s is still largely inconsistent and emerging, as evidenced by the fact that there was virtually no control of the Internet in Russia until 2012. While advanced surveillance in authoritarian countries is worrying, technology in strategic sectors is also a key field of increasingly disconcerting great power competition. As a result of intensifying competition, the world is faced with the risk of technological decoupling, which would contribute to the further fragmentation of the international community and the deepening of existing rivalries.

This chapter argues that domestic politics plays a significant role in shaping Sino-Russian relations. Domestic political factors strengthen certain trends in the relationship and, more occasionally, generate obstacles. In structural terms, the growing similarity of political systems, characterized by a high degree of centralization of power in leaders’ hands and the rising crackdown on dissent, shapes the threat assessment. The Russian ruling regime is not challenged by Beijing, hence an increase in China’s power and influence. While disadvantageous geopolitically, it does not pose a threat to regime security and regime survival in the Kremlin. Domestic actors have contributed to Russia’s policy towards China in two ways: by influencing the leadership’s threat assessment and by implementing particular policies. In some areas, such as energy cooperation, a privileged position on behalf of certain actors enables them to promote closer cooperation with China. There is no openly anti-Chinese lobby within the ruling elite and its supporters. More often than not, domestic politics act as a facilitating factor, which mitigates systemic pressures related to China’s rise and growing asymmetry between Russia and China and creates a conducive environment for bilateral cooperation with China in certain sectors.