The Chinese [military] lead is growing and unlike the United States or NATO, has very real and recently (1970s) fought over claims on Russian territory (the Far East and parts of eastern Siberia). China has very deliberately never renounced these claims, not after the Chinese communists took over China in 1949 and not since. Now Russia is increasingly economically dependent on China, a condition that is getting worse for Russia and appears headed for China getting its disputed territories back via economic not military conquest. For the moment Russia plays down the Chinese threat and makes much of the imaginary one posed by NATO.
NATO was atrophying with many wondering just what the point of it was until Russia revived its original mission of keeping the Russians out of Europe. Bravo, Russia. Well done.
I have noted that Russian rhetoric aimed at a harmless NATO essentially conceals Russian appeasement of China.
I wonder what Russia will have to give up to get China to renew their soon-to-expire suspension of claims on Russian territory in the Far East?
