Russian and Chinese leaders regularly profess an ever-growing congruence of interests and ever-increasing economic, political, and even military cooperation. According to Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in October 2013, “Bilateral relations have never reached such high levels.”¹ Yet, arguably there is much less harmony here—although what harmony there is remains quite real—than is publicly professed. While the strong, shared identity of anti-liberal ideological perspectives is undeniable—particularly directed against the United States on issues like proliferation, missile defense, democracy promotion, regime change, and America’s presence in Central Asia and the Middle East—on other issues we see substantial and even in some cases growing discord. Indeed, on the crucial issue of regional security in Asia there is, arguably, mounting friction, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has added to the tension. Yet, Moscow’s continuing failure to undertake economic reform ensures its rising dependence on Chinese support on some critical issues; thereby undermining its overall strategy towards China. The Crimean crisis in March 2014 impels us to reconsider Sino-Russian relations and ask how different views of self-determination at the expense of sovereignty may strain them or how East-West polarization in Europe may strengthen them.

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