Post-Cold War China-Russia strategic cooperation has displayed significant development and become an increasingly important factor in contemporary international politics. However, there has been no theory-grounded framework and corresponding measurements that would allow an accurate and systematic assessment of the level of China-Russia alignment and its progress over time. How closely aligned are China and Russia? How to define and measure strategic alignments between states? This book bridges area studies and International Relations literature to develop a set of objective criteria to measure and explain the development of strategic alignment in post-Cold War China-Russia relations. It establishes that on a range of criteria, China-Russia alignment is moving towards a full-fledged alliance. It is solid and comprehensive and continues to show a consistent incremental upward trend. There are strong structural incentives for furthering the China-Russia alignment, and there is little that might hinder the effective functioning of a China-Russia alliance. The alignment framework developed in the book can be applied to other cases of interstate strategic cooperation to facilitate comparisons between different strategic alignments.

Alexander Korolev is Senior Lecturer in politics and international relations in the School of Social Sciences, Faculty of Arts, Design, and Architecture, at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. His research interests include international relations theory and comparative politics with special reference to China and Russia. His recent articles appeared in various peer-reviewed journals, including International Relations, Foreign Policy Analysis, International Studies Review, Journal of Strategic Studies, Studies in Comparative International Development, Pacific Affairs, Asian Security, and other journals.

Acknowledgement
List of Figures and Tables
1. Introduction: The Elusive Nature of China-Russia Relations and the Need for Theory
2. The Ordinal Model of Strategic Alignment
3. Military Cooperation: Approaching Alliance
4. Alignment Incentives: The Three Balances
5. Robustness Check: Economy and Diplomacy
6. Comparative Mapping: US-India and China-Russia alignments
7. Conclusion: Empirical Findings and Theoretical Implications