Though not a mutual defense alliance, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) remains the most important multilateral security structure in Central Asia that includes both Russia and China.

China has expressed its support for Russia's initiative to revive the Russia-India-China (RIC) troika, emphasizing its importance for regional and global security and stability.

The Russia–India–China (RIC) trilateral dialogue emerged in the late 1990s, rooted in ex-Russian PM Primakov’s vision of a ...