Coronavirus poses test for Russia and China’s friendship
- Moscow and Beijing have become increasingly close in recent years, but border closures and imported cases have ‘cast a shadow’ over their relationship
- One observer said the two countries have ‘passed this test so far’ but a thaw between the US and Russia may pose a challenge for the future
The relationship between Russia and China has come under scrutiny as the Covid-19 pandemic threatens to put their increasingly close ties under strain.
The two countries have promised to work together to fight the disease and have both denounced American attempts to blame Beijing for the outbreak, but the rise in Russian cases threatens to undermine China’s own efforts to stop it spreading – particularly in the border province of Heilongjiang.
Russia’s economy is also suffering both from the lockdown needed to fight the disease and the global slump in oil prices.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin have pledged to maintain a united front in fighting the disease, holding three phone conversations since March.
But some observers believe Russia is moving closer to the United States, and note Putin has spoken to Donald Trump six times in the same period.
The two leaders issued a statement on April 26 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the first meeting between US and Soviet troops during the second world war on the banks of the Elbe.