China is a vital strategic partner of Russia's. While it has said it plays no role in the war, Beijing has provided Russia with a major economic lifeline through large-scale oil purchases, helping Moscow to circumvent Western sanctions.

FILE PHOTO: Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping attend a military parade on Victory Day, marking the 80th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, in Red Square in central Moscow, Russia, May 9, 2025. Sergei Bobylyov/Host agency RIA Novosti/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo

China has recently sent a fleet of five research and icebreaking vessels to the Arctic region near Alaska, an unprecedented level of deployment that has drawn close monitoring from the U.S. Coast Guard and military authorities.