Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines was also quizzed during the hearing on whether China and Russia would assist each other in a potential conflict with the US and its allies.
She said: “We see China and Russia, for the first time, exercising together in relation to Taiwan and recognising that this is a place where China definitely wants Russia to be working with them, and we see no reason why they wouldn’t.”
The two nations currently have a “no limits” partnership which began shortly before the war in Ukraine and helped to boost Russia‘s economy after stringent sanctions from the West left it increasingly isolated.
In return, Russia has provided China with cheap oil and natural gas. They have also conducted five joint military drills since 2022.
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