BEIJING, January 13. /TASS/. US President-elect Donald Trump won’t be able to gain Russia’s support to contain China, Professor Wang Jisi, founding president of the Institute of International and Strategic Studies at Peking University, said in response to a TASS request to comment on potential changes in Moscow-Beijing relations under Trump.
"Some people, including in our country, believe that the US seeks to persuade Russia over in order to contain China," the expert pointed out at a Tsinghua University debate on China-US relations under Trump. "Will he be able to significantly improve relations with Russia after coming to power? Will he be able to persuade Russia over to oppose China? I believe that it’s completely impossible and I don’t think that such a possibility exists," he added.
Wang did not rule out that Trump could introduce certain changes in relations between the US and Russia. "However, will Trump be able to represent the entire US [establishment]? Will what he says shape US policies? I think there is a big gap here," the professor pointed out, adding: "Don’t listen to what he says but look at what he does."
According to Wang, Washington pursues a policy of double containment against Beijing and Moscow, which is further strengthening relations between China and Russia, and Trump will not be able to change the situation.
"China is aware that it cannot counter Russia and Russia is aware that it cannot counter China," Wang argued. "This is why I still emphasize that the current scope of China-US relations, as well as the trilateral relationship, will not change, at least in the foreseeable future," the expert said.
The professor noted that the fundamental situation in the so-called China-Russia-US triangle is that "Beijing and Moscow are very close, while Beijing and Washington are relatively far from each other."