China's Been Hacking Russia for Years. What Does 'Ally' Even Mean?

Putin and Xi pose for the cameras. They sign agreements. They call it a "golden era" of cooperation.

Behind the scenes? China's been stealing Russia's war secrets for years.

In 2023, a Chinese hacking group called Sanyo posed as a major Russian engineering firm. They extracted data on nuclear submarines. They also hit Rostec — Russia's state defense conglomerate — for satellite communications, radar systems, and electronic warfare tech.

The target wasn't a Western adversary. It was their "limitless partner."

Russia Knows. Russia Can't Do Anything About It.

A leaked FSB intelligence memo from late 2023 doesn't mince words. The document, obtained by The New York Times, comes from the FSB's 7th Service — the unit that monitors Asian espionage.

They call China "the enemy."

Not rival. Not competitor. Enemy.

The memo warns that Beijing is recruiting Russian officials and scientists. It says China's spying on Russia's Ukraine operations to learn how Western weapons perform in combat. It accuses Chinese academics of laying groundwork for territorial claims on Russian land.

Putin can't say this publicly. Russia needs China too much. Chinese money props up the Russian economy. Chinese tech fills gaps left by Western sanctions. Russia's politically locked into silence.

So the FSB writes memos. And China keeps hacking.

The World Sees This Story Completely Differently

The Albis Perception Gap Index scored this story 5.7, with a 6.5 divergence between Asia-Pacific and US coverage.

Western outlets frame it as proof the authoritarian alliance is fragile. Asian coverage downplays it or questions the evidence. US and European sources emphasize betrayal. Asian sources treat it as routine intelligence gathering between strategic competitors.

Same hacks. Opposite meanings.

What Does 'Alliance' Mean When One Side Steals the Other's Secrets?

China and Russia present themselves as a unified bloc against the West. Joint military exercises. Coordinated UN vetoes. Shared grievances about American hegemony.

But alliances built on convenience fracture under pressure.

Russia's FSB knows China isn't a friend. They know Beijing's harvesting Russian military insights to build its own capabilities. They know Chinese hackers are targeting the same defense infrastructure Russia relies on to fight Ukraine.

They just can't do anything about it.

When your closest partner steals your submarine blueprints, you don't have an alliance. You have a transaction. And the terms aren't equal.

The handshake photos look great. The intelligence operations tell a different story.