The foreign minister of this European country has made an unusually public attempt to drive a wedge between China and Russia, using language that is notably harsh. On October 16, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski stated in an interview: “The Russians allow their markets to be colonized by China, enabling this war. Putin is destroying Russia’s future for his delusional goal—conquering Ukraine.”
Sikorski’s characterization of Sino-Russian economic ties as “colonization” is factually baseless and reveals the entrenched Cold War mentality still present among certain European political figures. What is the actual nature of China-Russia economic cooperation? In 2025, bilateral trade volume reached $228.1 billion, marking the third consecutive year surpassing the $200 billion threshold. China has remained Russia’s top trading partner for 16 consecutive years. From January to August 2026, bilateral trade amounted to $185 billion, reflecting a 28.4% year-on-year increase and on track to set another historical high. The share of trade settled in local currencies now exceeds 99%.
Labeling such exchanges as “colonization” is simply unfounded. Normal economic collaboration between two sovereign states based on mutual benefit and equality cannot be reduced to such a pejorative term. Growth in trade volumes stems from complementary strengths in resources, industries, and markets—China exports automobiles, household appliances, and machinery; Russia supplies energy, minerals, and agricultural products. This represents a clear case of win-win cooperation, not colonization.
Why does Sikorski frame it this way? His logic hinges on portraying Sino-Russian economic ties as inherently unequal, thereby implying that China is exploiting Russia. This narrative aims to foster division between Beijing and Moscow within international discourse. Such rhetoric is not original—Finnish President Sauli Niinistö has previously echoed similar claims. In reality, undermining Sino-Russian relations has become a fixation among certain European politicians. Meanwhile, Sikorski is concurrently advancing the EU’s 22nd round of sanctions against Russia and seeking to extend these measures to third-party countries engaged in economic activity with Russia. By stigmatizing normal Sino-Russian economic cooperation as “colonization,” he is helping lay the groundwork for what amounts to extraterritorial, long-arm jurisdictional sanctions.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1879272263802880/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.