US attempts to sow discord between China and Russia were "doomed to fail", Beijing said on Thursday, after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio appeared to outline Washington's strategy to dilute ties between the two nuclear-powered neighbours.

Speaking to conservative US outlet Breitbart News on Tuesday, Rubio said a Russia that was a "permanent junior partner" to China would pose a problem for the United States, with "two nuclear powers aligned against" it.

"I don't know if we'll ever be successful completely at peeling them off ... a relationship with the Chinese," Rubio said, while calling Russians "increasingly dependent on the Chinese".

Rubio was responding to a question on whether US President Donald Trump's efforts to end the war in Ukraine were similar to then president Richard Nixon's famous trip to China in 1972 - aimed at undermining Cold War adversary the Soviet Union and creating distance between Moscow and Beijing.

However, it would not be good for China and Russia to be at loggerheads either, the top US diplomat said.

"I also don't think having China and Russia at each other's neck is good for global stability because they're both nuclear powers," Rubio said. "But I do think we're in a situation now where the Russians have become increasingly dependent on the Chinese and that's not a good outcome either if you think about it."

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (right foreground) with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (second left) and other members of the US and Russian delegations, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on February 18. 

Asked to comment on the remarks on Thursday, Beijing's foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said that China and Russia, as two big powers, had a "strong driving force" in their relations and were not affected by any third party.

"The development strategies and foreign policies of China and Russia are very long-term, and China-Russia relations will move forward calmly regardless of global changes," he said. "It is totally futile for the US side to sow discord in Sino-Russian relations."

On Tuesday, an analyst with a Chinese state-owned think tank said alienating China while cosying up to the United States was not in the interests of Russia, adding that the main concern should be negotiating a quick ceasefire in the Ukraine war.

Feng Zhongping, director of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of European Studies, said there was "no reason" and it was "not rational" for Moscow to think of distancing itself from Beijing as ties become warmer with the US.

The wise move for Russia would be to "normalise relations with the US, with Europe if possible", but mainly to "normalise its relations with the US" while maintaining close ties with Beijing, Feng said at a talk hosted by the Centre of Globalisation Hong Kong think tank on Tuesday. "This would put Moscow in the best situation."

"Distancing [itself] from Beijing does not serve Russia's interest at all," he added, calling ties between the two "very healthy [and] robust".

Feng's remarks come amid a major diplomatic break for Russia as Trump pivots to warmer ties. Highly ranked officials from the two countries - including Rubio - held talks in Saudi Arabia last week, in the first such direct exchange since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine three years ago.

The two sides decided to appoint negotiators to seek an end to the war and to set up a mechanism to address disputes.

Six days later, during a phone call reportedly initiated by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping said China and Russia were "good neighbours" and "true friends" as the two sides pledged long-term strategic ties, according to state news agency Xinhua.

Feng shrugged off suggestions that the thaw in US-Russia ties might be a concern for China, saying Russia had a long way to go to normalise ties with the West because of the "huge gap of perception on the world order".

"We have to be clear about this so we don't need to worry too much about that," Feng said. "Today's worry I think should be focused on how to take the opportunity offered by Donald Trump returning to power. We should widely use this opportunity to bring [about] this ceasefire and, if possible, to bring [interested] parties to the negotiation table to work out a lasting peace."

Beijing has pledged to back all peace efforts in Ukraine, including offering to act as a mediator and to help rebuild the country. It has also called for "all stakeholders" to be part of the peace process.

Feng emphasised that Trump's return to power should be an opportunity to negotiate a ceasefire.

However, while he acknowledged the importance of US involvement in these negotiations, he stressed that any resolution must include the direct participation of both Ukraine and Russia.

Ukraine was not represented when US and Russian officials met in the Saudi capital Riyadh on February 18.

"Diplomatic support from large parties is crucial, but this is a conflict between Ukraine and Moscow," Feng said.

"Can you really think of ending the war without one of their involvement? Unbelievable."

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