Russia’s economy is at China’s mercy. Here’s why that won’t be changing anytime soon.

• Russia’s economy is becoming dependent on China and it could soon be a vassal state of Beijing, experts say.
• The two nations have ramped up trade and deepened ties as sanctions isolate Russia from the West.
• Their partnership benefits China enormously and probably isn’t ending soon, economists told Insider.

Russia’s economy has been battered by Western sanctions since its invasion of Ukraine last year – and that’s putting it increasingly at the mercy of one of its biggest partners: China. 

Observers have pointed to Moscow’s growing dependence on Beijing for months, with their two economies becoming more intertwined in trade and finance as Russia becomes further isolated. But it isn’t an equal partnership, and Russia may be on its way to becoming a vassal state of China.