REPORT: CHINA IS QUIETLY PREPARING FOR A POST-PUTIN RUSSIA
China is reportedly preparing for the possibility of a Russia without Vladimir Putin, quietly expanding contacts with individuals who could emerge as future centers of power inside the country, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The report also states that Chinese espionage and recruitment efforts targeting Russian officials have become increasingly apparent, but that Russian authorities have largely avoided publicizing such cases to prevent damaging their strategic relationship with Beijing.
If accurate, it offers a rare glimpse into the realities behind the much-publicized “no limits” partnership between Moscow and Beijing.
While Russia and China continue to cooperate economically and strategically, neither side appears to fully trust the other. Beijing has long viewed stability in Russia as a strategic interest, but it is also preparing for the possibility that the Kremlin’s political landscape could change unexpectedly..
For China, maintaining relationships with potential future power brokers would be a way to protect its interests regardless of who eventually leads Russia.
Even among close partners, geopolitics is often driven less by friendship than by preparation. If the report is accurate, Beijing is ensuring it has influence in Moscow no matter what the future holds.