Despite Beijing’s longstanding discontent with Moscow’s close ties with New Delhi and Hanoi that at times conflict with China’s territorial interests, against the current backdrop of intensifying US-China strategic competition, Beijing has to a large extent put up with Russia’s involvement in these territorial conflicts, especially the Sino-Indian dispute, as a useful instrument to prevent New Delhi and Hanoi from leaning further toward Washington. With US ties to both India and Vietnam improving in the context of competition with China, understanding when and where Russian relations with New Delhi and Hanoi conflict with Chinese interests is vital for navigating a complex geopolitical environment.
