Although Russia and President Vladimir Putin have repeatedly emphasized their growing alliance with China since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, internal documents suggest a far more cautious — even adversarial — view behind closed doors. According to an internal planning memo obtained by The New York Times, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) refers to China as “the enemy” and outlines serious concerns about Beijing’s intelligence activities.

The eight-page document, reportedly drafted in late 2023 or early 2024, lays out FSB priorities for countering Chinese espionage. Among the threats listed are Chinese efforts to recruit Russian operatives to access classified military technology, surveillance of Russian operations in Ukraine to study Western tactics, academic initiatives that could support future territorial claims in Russia’s Far East, and expanded Chinese intelligence operations in the Arctic.