Joe Webster writes a weekly column about China-Russia relations for The China Project, edits the China-Russia Report and is a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Center, where his portfolio includes hydrogen’s role in the energy transition, North American offshore wind, and other topics across renewables and hydrocarbons.
Joe holds a master’s degree in international relations and China Studies from the Johns Hopkins University’s Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, where he was a Mount Vernon Fellow, and received a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Maryland.
China is the world’s largest renewables generator and has cleaned the air in many cities, but it remains the world’s largest polluter, is addicted to coal, and is wasting solar panels on a massive scale.
Somebody stole mountains of Mongolian coal just near the country’s border with China, suggesting Sino-Russian tensions to come.
Bilateral military cooperation reaches new highs, although China seems to be moving ahead without Russian participation in its new domestic aircraft line.
Putin was not mentioned by name, but Beijing edged away from Moscow at the G20 summit, leaving Russia increasingly isolated.
But in moves that will affect both Beijing and Moscow, the constitutional democracies are stepping up cooperation both substantively and symbolically.
The bromance of the century is still going strong.
Moscow has signaled it may be open to including Saudi Arabia in BRICS. Meanwhile, Putin backed down from Kherson, likely to Beijing’s relief.
In this week’s Russia-China update: The PRC demonstrates more “pro-Russia neutrality,” and Elon Musk says Beijing pressured him to drop Starlink coverage for Ukraine.
Russia and OPEC announced a cut in oil production in another blow to China’s economy. Meanwhile, Xi may change course on Putin — but only after the Party Congress.
Moscow says Washington is to blame for the apparent sabotage of a Russian gas pipeline to Europe, and Chinese state media agree. But there are several reasons why Putin may have sent underwater saboteurs to the Baltic Sea.