The Tiger and the Bear: China-Russia Alliance Shrouded in Mystery
Russian President Boris Yeltsin, still brushing dust off his shoulders from the Berlin Wall’s collapse, traveled to Beijing in late December 1992 to meet with his Chinese counterparts. Newspaper headlines at the time made much ado about Yeltsin’s decision to cut the visit short, with some speculating he sought to placate concerns of the U.S. Congress – fresh off a Cold War “win” – about a new pan-Asian, anti-American bloc. Others believed it was the inevitable result of decades of animosity between the two Eastern powers, combined with a renewed Chinese anger over Russia’s abandonment of true communist ideals.
Whatever the cause, outside observers could agree on what brought the two leaders together: China was expanding and wanted cutting-edge technologies, including military weaponry, and Russia desperately needed cash. The leaders signed accords and held a summit to usher in what the Chinese called "relations of good-neighborliness and friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation."
"For the former Soviet Union, China was a potential enemy," Yeltsin said at the time. "But today, for Russia, it is no longer a potential enemy."
The progression of the countries' relationship in the subsequent two decades remains as steady as it is mysterious. China and Russia have learned to lean on one another, sometimes strategically, and sometimes because they require each other to keep the lights on. As Russia continues to meddle in eastern Ukraine, China has been reticent to respond despite its highly publicized interest in investment there last year. The situation is yet another telltale sign that much of this powerful alliance has been forged and maintained deep behind closed doors.
http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2014/05/14/the-tiger-and-the-bear-china-russia-alliance-shrouded-in-mystery?int=9a4808