“Pundits have interpreted Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s recent visit to Moscow in one of two ways,” argues political science professor Alexander J. Motyl. “As cementing an alliance between two great powers or as confirming Russia’s transformation into China's junior partner." |
Motyl believes both sides may be right. “China’s relationship with Russia has become stronger, while its unequal nature also has become more pronounced…”
Russia’s transformation into a vassal of China may be bad for Moscow, but Motyl argues that it would also be “harmful to Beijing’s interests — in the short, medium and long terms.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin is erratic and may soon be ousted or weakened to the point of impotence, says Motyl, who teaches at Rutgers University - Newark. And if that happens, “Xi’s judgment, and perhaps even legitimacy, could be questioned at home.”
“It’s tempting to conclude that Xi may have committed a strategic blunder,” he writes. “Perhaps he, like Putin, isn’t quite the grandmaster in chess that he’s reputed to be.”
Read Motyl’s op-ed here. |
Welcome to The Hill's Views & Opinions newsletter. It's Tuesday, April 4. I'm Daniel Allott, bringing together a collection of key opinion pieces published from a wide range of voices. |
