China-Russia Military Cooperation Is Highly Confrontational
Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu visited Russia and Belarus last week as a show of support. On August 15, China’s state-run newspaper, the Global Times, quoted Li, saying Sino-Russo relations are a model of “non-aligned, non-confrontational cooperation that does not target any third party.”
That statement is false. Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, and China increasingly threatens to invade Taiwan. China also ships useful war material to Russia, and the two nations practice war games together. The military alignment between the two countries is highly confrontational.
Ukraine: While Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was internationally condemned, China has refused to officially condemn Russia, arguing that “[d]ialogue and negotiation are the only viable solution to the Ukraine crisis.”
The Putin-Xi February 2022 joint statement, made just before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, demonstrated an increase in overlap in the two sides’ security concerns, with both leaders focusing on the threat posed by the United States and nato to international security in general and to their own countries in particular.
—The Center for Naval Analyses
Taiwan: On August 19, Beijing launched military drills around Taiwan after Taiwanese Vice President William Lai visited the United States. China’s Defense Ministry said the military drills were a “stern warning” over what it called collusion between “separatists and foreign forces.” China has often threatened Taiwan and ultimately wants to force the island into unification with the mainland.
In a joint China-Russia statement in March, Russia said it “reaffirms its adherence to the one-China principle, recognizes Taiwan as an inalienable part of China’s territory, opposes any form of ‘Taiwan independence,’ and firmly supports measures taken by China to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Prophecy says: Russia and China will continue to strengthen their military ties. Revelation 16:12 prophesies of a multinational Asian alliance referred to as “the kings of the east.” In our free booklet Russia and China in Prophecy, we explain that Russia, supported by China, will lead this belligerent alliance.
