Bloc Politics at the UN: How Other States Behave When the United States and China–Russia Disagree

Abstract China and Russia have been progressively deepening their partnership in global governance to achieve common goals. However, do other states share policy positions? Existing scholarship addresses the dyadic affinity among major powers growing importance of rising power groups, but it does not examine how positions align with those United States its rivals: Russia. To investigate these powers, we voting patterns UN General Assembly over a 30-year period from 1991 2020. By utilizing simple t-tests estimating both OLS LOGIT models (N = 219,625), find that Sino–Russian enjoy much broader support than States. Additionally, belong Group 77 (G-77) soft-balancing institutions such as Shanghai Cooperation Organization BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) are more likely groups. Conversely, members NATO side non-NATO counterparts. Further, findings suggest effect states’ membership on propensity has steadily increased time. Meanwhile, likelihood lacks clear temporal trajectory.