West voices fears of Russia-China axis

Western leaders yesterday said Russia and China were seeking to "replace the existing international rules" with their own order, as Beijing backed Moscow over its showdown with Nato.

Russia has all but encircled Ukraine with its huge troop buildup and US President Joe Biden has warned that Vladimir Putin plans an invasion within days. Moscow is using the threat to invade Ukraine to demand a halt to Nato expansion and what it calls "Cold War" ideologies.

At a closely choreographed appearance in Beijing for the Winter Olympics, Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping had put up a united front against Nato expansion.

"For the first time we now see Beijing joining Moscow in calling on Nato to stop admitting new members," noted the alliance's chief Jens Stoltenberg, speaking at the Munich Security Conference.

"It is an attempt to control the fate of free nations, to rewrite the international rulebook and impose their own authoritarian models of governance," he warned.

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen had stronger words, accusing Moscow of a "blatant attempt" to rewrite the global order.

Cooperation between China and Russia has increased in recent years. The escalating tensions with the West have further bolstered ties between the world's most populous nation and the world's largest.

Experts say China would back Russia diplomatically and perhaps economically if it invades Ukraine, worsening Beijing's already strained relations with the West, but would stop short of providing military support.

A Russian invasion into Ukraine would test China's resolve, especially given that China's oft-stated foreign policy principle of non-interference.

Although China and Russia have moved beyond "marriage of convenience" to a quasi-alliance, relations between the giant neighbours are far from a formal alliance requiring one to send troops should the other face threats, said Shi Yinhong, an international relations professor at Renmin University.

But experts believe China could expand economic cooperation with Russia that would blunt the impact of sanctions promised by the West if there is an invasion.

However, China would prefer that Russia not invade Ukraine.

"With the international world so polarised, it's possible the United States and the West would be unified in isolating or sanctioning China together with Russia," said Shi.

Earlier this month, US State Department spokesman Ned Price said Chinese companies would face consequences if they sought to evade any export controls imposed on Moscow in the event of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.

A person familiar with U.S. thinking told reporters the technology-related sanctions and export controls that Washington is planning with allies is beyond China's ability to backfill.

"We are prepared to take actions against any foreign country or entity that would circumvent those," said the person.