Axis of Authoritarians

Implications of China-Russia Cooperation

On Wednesday, October 10, 2018, NBR held a discussion on the growing cooperation between China and Russia and the emergence of an authoritarian axis in multiple domains. Speakers assessed the challenges that China-Russia cooperation poses to the United States and its partners and provided a thorough assessment of policy options available to the United States to strengthen its position and defend its interests.

This discussion marked the release of the volume Axis of Authoritarians: Implications of China-Russia Cooperation.

The event featured a panel of contributors to the volume discussing the strategic context of China-Russia relations, the drivers and brakes on cooperation, options for the United States to respond, and likely future scenarios. A second panel explored regional views of Sino-Russian cooperation, including perspectives from China, Russia, and Japan.

Agenda

OPENING REMARKS

Richard J. Ellings, President and Co-founder, NBR

CHINA-RUSSIA COOPERATION: IMPLICATIONS AND U.S. POLICY OPTIONS

Chair
Nadège Rolland, Senior Fellow, NBR

Speakers

The Strategic Context of China-Russia Relations

Richard J. Ellings, President and Co-founder, NBR

China-Russia Relations in Energy, Trade, and Finance

Charles Ziegler, Professor of Political Science and Distinguished University Scholar, University of Louisville

China-Russia Cooperation: How Should the United States Respond?

James Steinberg, University Professor of Social Science, International Affairs, and Law, Syracuse University

U.S. Policy Implications and Options

Robert Sutter, Professor of Practice of International Affairs, George Washington University

REGIONAL PERSPECTIVES ON GROWING CHINA-RUSSIA TIES

Chair
J. Stapleton Roy, Founding Director Emeritus and Distinguished Scholar, Kissinger Institute on China and the United States, Wilson Center

Speakers

Russia in the China-Russia Strategic Partnership

Vasily Kashin, Senior Research Fellow, Russian Academy of Sciences

Japan and China-Russia Relations

Yuki Tatsumi, Director, Japan Program, Stimson Center

China-Russia Cooperation and the International System

Yu Bin, Professor of Political Science, Wittenberg University

China and Russia in the East Asia Maritime Domain

James D. J. Brown, Associate Professor of Political Science, Temple University, Japan Campus

CLOSING REMARKS

Richard J. Ellings, President and Co-founder, NBR

Robert Sutter, Professor of Practice of International Affairs, George Washington University

Banner image: Chinese president Xi Jinping (r) welcomes Russian president Vladimir Putin (l) at the G20 summit in Hangzhou © plavevski / Shutterstock.com