China and Russia

A compelling, expansive history of the relationship between China and Russia, from the seventeenth century to the present.

China and Russia explores the delicate relationship that Russia and China, the largest and most populous countries in the world, respectively, have maintained over four centuries. Despite sharing a four-thousand-kilometre border and occasionally aligning in political and economic affairs, these nations remain profoundly different in both polities and cultures. Their intermittent alliances have often proved difficult and at times volatile.

Philip Snow provides a comprehensive account of the relationship between these two global giants. Delving into politics, religion, economics, and culture, Snow uncovers the deep roots of their alignment. He examines shifts in the balance of power, from the wealth and strength of early Qing China to the Tsarist and Soviet ascendancies, including episodes of intense conflict followed by periods of harmony.

This book also sheds light on the experiences and opinions of ordinary people, which often vastly differed from those of their governments, and considers how long the current amicable relationship between the countries might endure.