Kathrine Frich
Behind closed doors, Western intelligence officials suspect Moscow is handing over highly advanced technology.
When you step into a high-stakes arena, you want every advantage you can get.
Sometimes the best way to learn is by watching someone else take the hits first. And right now, one global superpower is taking copious notes.
The secret classroom
China has not fought a major war in over four decades. Its massive military looks impressive on paper, but the troops lack real combat experience.
That is changing fast. A new report from The Economist, cited by LA.LV, reveals a growing military partnership between Beijing and Moscow.
Since early this year, Chinese soldiers have quietly gathered at a training site near Volgograd. They are learning directly from units of the Russian 8th Army.
Trading secrets
The lessons go far beyond basic drills. Russian forces are passing on fresh tactics learned the hard way on the battlefields of Ukraine.
Soldiers practice drone warfare, urban combat, and trench assaults. Alongside those active combat skills, they drill in field medicine and rapid mine clearing.
Oleksandr Danylyuk, a former adviser to the Ukrainian Defense Minister, explained the shift clearly.
“The Chinese understand the importance of Russian knowledge. They have already realized that the nature of war is changing, and if you want to be truly prepared for war, you need to learn from people who have practical experience,” Danylyuk said.
Eyes on the island
The collaboration does not stop in the muddy trenches. Behind closed doors, Western intelligence officials suspect Moscow is handing over highly advanced technology.
This includes upgrades for air defense networks and secrets to make Chinese nuclear submarines harder to detect. These stealthy subs would play a massive role in any future clash over Taiwan.
Brown University expert Lyle Goldstein pointed out a specific prize Beijing hopes to secure. The Chinese military desperately wants Russian data on how well American weapons actually perform in combat.
They are heavily focused on learning about HIMARS missile systems, because Taiwan keeps those exact weapons in its own defensive stockpile.
Deny and prepare
The groundwork for this alliance started years ago. Back in 2019, Vladimir Putin publicly confirmed that Russia was helping China build a missile early warning system.
Beijing officially waves away reports of these joint training camps. Officials deny they are using the war in Ukraine as a live-action classroom.
Yet intelligence agencies see a different reality. The Economist noted that while Russian troops will likely never fight in Taiwan, their hard-won knowledge gives Beijing a dangerous edge.
Sources: The Economist, LA.LV
