The trend line is clear:
China is gradually replacing its Russian air defense systems with Chinse made equipment. The latest development was the success of the new HQ-9B system, with its longer range missiles and superior (to Russian systems) radars and computers. The fifth HQ-9B battery was recently deployed and the HQ-9C is completing its development.
China is quiet about their claims on Russian territory.
It's quite a bit of land.
Russia whistles past the graveyard pretending all is well with China in the hope that time will be more kind to Russia than to China.
How's that working out for Putin?
Unless Russia can engineer a war between China and America that takes both of us down, Russia has tremendous problems with a policy that pokes at NATO in the West and pretends China isn't a threat.
Why Putin doesn't mend relations with NATO so European Russia is a safe rear area to project power east is beyond me.
We really should be trying to drive a wedge between Russia and China to get Russia to finally come to its senses about NATO. And Russia needs to split from China before China acts against Russia to get the time Russia needs to erase the anger and hostility that Putin has created in the West toward Russia.
