International Relations Entering a New Era: The February 4th Russian-Chinese Joint Statement and Its Implications for Canada
By Simon Waring, Royal Military College
After a meeting between Russia’s Vladimir Putin and China’s Xi Jinping on the opening day of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, both countries presented a joint statement announcing they had agreed on a “no limits” partnership. This statement announced their agreement on a variety of global issues, including combatting international terrorism, climate change, and the COVID-19 pandemic. The two countries also affirmed that they are united on several security concerns stretching from Eastern Europe to the Western Pacific. While the statement does not explicitly refer to Canada, Canadians should pay close attention to the growing ties between Russia and China, especially as these two Eurasian powers continue to increase their presence and power within the current international system.
The statement uses strong language, referencing “certain States, military and political alliances” that seek “to obtain, directly or indirectly, unilateral military advantages to the detriment of the security of others,” clearly referring to the United States and its system of alliances around the world, including NATO. The document explicitly names the United States and notes that China and Russia “remain highly vigilant” about its “negative impact” on “peace and stability” in the Asia-Pacific Region. Importantly, the statement denounces the September 2021 Australia, United Kingdom, United States (AUKUS) security pact, designed to aid Australia in its acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines and promote stability in the region. Russia also reaffirmed its support for Chinese unification with Taiwan, a key point of contention between China and the United States. On European affairs, China affirmed that it opposed further NATO expansion, and both parties called for NATO to abandon its “Cold War approaches.”
This recent Russia-China statement of unity on global issues comes at a time of global restructuring and represents a challenge that Canadians should take seriously. As 2022 begins, the international system is becoming increasingly polarized, with potential conflict between great powers in store. The previous decade saw Russia annex Crimea and support pro-Russian separatists in Eastern Ukraine, as well as act increasingly aggressive in the Black Sea and in the airspace over the Baltic States. Russian leadership is upset at NATO expansion, and as ongoing events in Ukraine pertaining to NATO’s commitment to the Open-Door policy demonstrate, disagreements in Eastern Europe are unlikely to subside. There is intense anxiety around the world over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. World leaders are waiting to see if economic and diplomatic sanctions against Russia will be effective in stemming their aggression.
In the Asia-Pacific region, Chinese leadership has come to see the United States as an adversary, especially under Xi Jinping’s tenure. The US-China relationship was placed under significant strain from the trade policies of former US President Donald Trump. President Joe Biden continues to negotiate with Beijing over trade irritants, and AUKUS is seen by Chinese leaders as a Western attempt to contain China and limit its growth as a regional and world power. The United States’ support for Taiwan’s independence has been a point of contention between China and the United States since the Cold War, but it has grown in significance since the 1990’s. Some analysts have concluded that China will have the naval and amphibious capability to successfully invade Taiwan and achieve their goal of unification by the year 2025.
As a NATO member and US ally, Canadians need to understand the impact of these global challenges. Canada actively participates within the liberal-democratic international system established after the Second World War and perpetuated in the unipolar post-Cold War era. Canada has a strong democracy and is one of the most advanced economies in the world. Committed to multilateralism, Canada consistently pursues a foreign policy committed to free trade, human rights and democracy promotion, international law and security, and is a member of the G7, the United Nations, and the World Trade Organization. By being firmly entrenched within the current international system, Canadians should view statements like the one issued by Russia and China with reservations.
This is especially true as Canada has felt its own relationships with Russia and China cool in recent years. Canada has sent aid to support Ukraine amidst the current crisis, and China has attempted to influence Canadian policy through coercion, as shown by the detainment of Canadians Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig for almost three years in retaliation for the arrest of Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou. The Canadian Parliament has also condemned China for its human rights abuses, specifically for its policy of internment of its Uighur Muslim minority population in Xinjiang province.
This is not to say that intense competition between competing global systems of alliances is inevitable or desirable. There is a path forward to maintain Russian and Chinese security and development while limiting potential sources of dispute. It behooves Canadians to be mindful of global challenges, consider developments in international relations, and support positive paths forward. Canada should pursue a policy that stays true to Canadian values and interests. Canadian leaders need to be committed to promoting human rights at home and abroad. Tackling the global COVID-19 pandemic is an issue that Canada can take a practical and principled stand on. Last, Canada needs to be strong. The joint statement issued by Russia and China includes a brief mention of a concern vital to Canadian interests: the development of the Arctic, with both countries agreeing to cooperate “for the sustainable development of the Arctic.” Canada should invest in infrastructure that can operate in the frigid Arctic environment, assert Canadian sovereignty in contested regions, and support multilateral approaches to peaceful resource development. In an interconnected world, a pact between Russia and China does affect Canada, and Canadians ignore these developments at their own peril.
Simon Waring is an M.A. student at the Royal Military College of Canada. Having majored in History at the University of Ottawa, Simon is interested in the history of the Second World War, and US Foreign Policy in the twenty-first century.
