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Perspective Undercurrents - PU's avatar

Russia fears becoming China's raw material appendage! Mutual necessity exists, but leverage tilts heavily toward Beijing.

The "sanctions-busting ingenuity" simply masks Russia's economic distortion and war-driven distortions, not sustainable growth.

There is no "perfectly complementary strengths". There is a junior-senior dynamic. Russia supplies discounted raw materials and China supplies manufactured goods, cars, and dual-use tech. This is basically a colonial-style asymmetry. Russia has become more dependent. Today, China supplies ~57% of Russia's imports and ~90% of its sanctioned tech components. Chinese firms dominate key Russian sectors, while Russia ranks as only a minor trading partner for China (dropped to 7th place in 2025).

Russia's per capita GDP per world standards, considering population and resources, is woefully dismal.

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