"China is now in a position to have greater expectations of and place demands on Russia, while Russia is struggling to come to terms with this new power dynamic," the report said. "In both countries, strategic planners warn that the present competition could escalate to a more pointed rivalry, entirely undermining the notion of a strategic partnership. "Consequently, China and Russia will continue to be pragmatic partners of convenience, but not partners based on deeper shared world views and strategic interests." (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Ron Popeski) Politics - Published Monday, 03 October 2011 06:50 | Author: AFP / The Swedish Wire STOCKHOLM (AFP) - China's dependence on Russia for arms and energy imports has declined and Moscow's position when dealing with Beijing has weakened as a result, a Swedish think tank said. "Decreasing dependence on Russian arms exports and a growing number of alternative energy suppliers mean that China has taken the upper hand in the relationship," the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said in a report released Monday. A key to the changing dynamic, the report said, is that China "is today mainly interested in acquiring technology to develop its own arms industry," and so its need for weaponry has diminished. Moscow has proved unwilling to sell its most sophisticated systems to Beijing, because it fears China will copy the technology and then export its own product. "The nature of the arms transfer relationship will increasingly be characterised by competition rather than cooperation," said Paul Holtom, who heads SIPRI's arms transfer programme. China's position has been further strengthened because its need for Russian crude oil has declined over the past five years, according to SIPRI. "China's largest oil supplier is Saudi Arabia, followed by Angola, Iran and Oman," SIPRI said.
"China is now in a position to have greater expectations of and place demands on Russia, while Russia is struggling to come to terms with this new power dynamic," the report said. "In both countries, strategic planners warn that the present competition could escalate to a more pointed rivalry, entirely undermining the notion of a strategic partnership. "Consequently, China and Russia will continue to be pragmatic partners of convenience, but not partners based on deeper shared world views and strategic interests." (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Ron Popeski) Politics - Published Monday, 03 October 2011 06:50 | Author: AFP / The Swedish Wire STOCKHOLM (AFP) - China's dependence on Russia for arms and energy imports has declined and Moscow's position when dealing with Beijing has weakened as a result, a Swedish think tank said. "Decreasing dependence on Russian arms exports and a growing number of alternative energy suppliers mean that China has taken the upper hand in the relationship," the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said in a report released Monday. A key to the changing dynamic, the report said, is that China "is today mainly interested in acquiring technology to develop its own arms industry," and so its need for weaponry has diminished. Moscow has proved unwilling to sell its most sophisticated systems to Beijing, because it fears China will copy the technology and then export its own product. "The nature of the arms transfer relationship will increasingly be characterised by competition rather than cooperation," said Paul Holtom, who heads SIPRI's arms transfer programme. China's position has been further strengthened because its need for Russian crude oil has declined over the past five years, according to SIPRI. "China's largest oil supplier is Saudi Arabia, followed by Angola, Iran and Oman," SIPRI said.
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