China’s state-run media frequently touts the country’s major achievements and grand ambitions in outer space, including its planned research outpost on the moon.
But there’s one thing it tends not to mention: Russia, its closest partner in space.
When Beijing and Moscow announced plans in 2021 for a joint lunar project, it looked like a powerful alliance, matching China’s technological prowess with deep Russian experience in space, dating back to the original moon race. Yet even before Russia’s war in Ukraine, there were doubts about what Moscow could offer Beijing.
