Days before Donald Trump was elected for his second term as US president in 2024, he pledged to “un-unite” Russia and China as he accused his predecessor, Joe Biden, of bringing them closer together. But his recent actions actually fall in line with the counterproductive policies of his predecessors that have encouraged the Russo-Chinese alliance.

It is no wonder that Chinese President Xi Jinping invited his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin just days after hosting Trump. It seems the two leaders will have a situation room meeting – catching up and coordinating in view of the results of the Xi-Trump summit.

The Iran war has given a powerful impetus to strengthening Russo-Chinese ties. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has made China critically reliant on Russian oil and gas supplies and thus helped Moscow fill up its coffers and get additional funds for its ongoing war on Ukraine.

In the first four months of this year, bilateral trade has jumped by nearly 20 percent. Cooperation in the energy sector is expected to expand, with Putin mentioning before his trip that there will be “a substantial step forward” in the oil and gas sphere.

Already last year, in September – three months after the Israeli assault on Iran – Chinese companies signed a memorandum with Russia’s energy giant Gazprom to expand the import of Russian gas through two pipelines from 48 to 56 billion cubic metres. The long-delayed Power........

© Al Jazeera