Together, Russia and China have the power to stand up against the US.
Hass 23 [Ryan Hass is director of the John L. Thornton China Center and the Chen-Fu and Cecilia Yen Koo Chair in Taiwan Studies at Brookings. He is also a senior fellow in the Center for East Asia Policy Studies. Served as the director for China, Taiwan and Mongolia at the National Security Council (NSC) staff, advised President Obama and senior White House officials. Served as a Foreign Service Officer in U.S. Embassy Beijing, received multiple Superior Honor and Meritorious Honor. He graduated from the University of Washington and attended the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International, “Fatalism is not an option for addressing China-Russia relations,” Brookings, 3-17-2023, https://www.brookings.edu/articles/fatalism-is-not-an-option-for-addressing-china-russia-relations/, accessed 7-29-2023, HKR-SWY]
Xi likely also sees the benefit of Russia distracting America’s strategic focus away from China. Neither Beijing nor Moscow can deal with the United States and its partners on its own; they both would rather stand together to deal with external pressure than face it alone. Given China’s dependence on imports for food and fuel, Xi likely also values the secure and discounted supplies of these critical inputs that Russia provides.