China and Russia: Not An Alliance, Sorry

China and Russia: Not An Alliance, Sorry

Key Points and Summary – Despite recent displays of unity, like last week’s military parade in Beijing, the Russia-China partnership is showing serious economic strain. New data reveals that trade between the two countries plunged in August 2025, the steepest decline since the Ukraine war began. Putin’s visit was reportedly an attempt to reverse this trend, with Russian sources admitting their war effort depends on Chinese support. While China i…