Russia and China are not natural allies. In fact, through most of history they have been adversaries. And while it is not unprecedented for enemies to become allies (see U.S. relations with Britain, Germany and Japan), a closer look at the relationship between Russia and China shows that this relationship is still largely characterized by reluctance and mistrust.
Russia’s president Vladimir Putin has actually repeatedly signaled to the West that he actually prefers closer ties to the West than to China, and occasionally continues to do so. However, anti-Russian media narratives in many western countries make it risky for European and American politicians to pursue such an alliance.
This is precisely what forced Russia into cooperation with China for the time being: protecting itself against a perceived threat from the West.
The great news is that if Western leaders realize this and have the courage to take the media flak in order to do what is in the interest of their countries, an alliance between the West and Russia is still possible.
This would substantially strengthen the West’s position against China and curtail China’s global influence. It would also dramatically reduce the risk of global war, as China could no longer act as aggressively as it recently has, while Russia would likely be very reluctant to join any military adventure on either side, given that due to its large land borders with both China and Nato, its stakes in the game are too high.
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/16517/china-russia-cooperation