Defying his former enemies in the United States and Europe may force Russian President Vladimir Putin to aid the ascent of his biggest rival in the east.
Isolated over Ukraine, Russia is relying on China for the investment it needs to avert a recession, three people involved in policy planning said. This means caving in to pressure to grant China privileged access to the two things it wants most: raw materials and advanced weapons.
Russia's growing dependence on China, which it battled for decades for control over global communism, may end up strengthening its neighbor's position in the Pacific while hastening its own economic decline. With the ruble near a record low and foreign investment disappearing, luring Chinese cash may deepen Russia's reliance on natural resources and derail government efforts to diversify the economy.