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Diplomacy
ChinaDiplomacy

Explainer | All-weather strategic partnership or friendly relationship? What to look for when China names ties with other nations

  • All-weather, all-round, strategic and future-oriented are among descriptors that show up the subtle differences in China’s relationships
  • Beijing often elevates ties but seldom downgrades, even amid strained bilateral conditions, as shown in the cases of the Philippines and India

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Last week, when Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, met Russian President Vladimir Putin in China, their countries issued a statement about “deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for the new era”. Photo: Sputnik via AP
Alyssa Chen
While Russian President Vladimir Putin visited China on May 16 and 17, Moscow and Beijing issued a statement about “deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for the new era”, heralding a further boost to bilateral ties.
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And the recent headline-grabbing tour by Chinese President Xi Jinping to Europe this month was not just about official visits and state dinners. It marked a strategic deepening of China-Hungary ties to the level of “all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership for the new era”.

The significant move elevates Hungary to the same rank as Belarus, Pakistan and Venezuela, which also enjoy “all-weather” relations with Beijing.

Serbia, another European destination on Xi’s latest overseas trip, saw its “comprehensive strategic partnership” deepened and formed a “community with a shared future” with China.

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Xi welcomes ‘old friend’ Putin to Beijing, affirms strength of China-Russia bond

Xi welcomes ‘old friend’ Putin to Beijing, affirms strength of China-Russia bond

They are all designations with Beijing’s elaborate network of diplomacy relationships that describe various types of partnership.

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The concept of “partnership without alignment” has been solidified and practised by Beijing since the end of the Cold War. China is building a stratified network of partners, not only with sovereign countries but also with regional institutions.

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