China has to consider whether Russia is an asset or a liability.
Xi Jinping has a crucial choice to make:
Xi Jinping is facing one of the most important decisions of his nine years in power. Having declared at a meeting with Vladimir Putin on 4 February that there were “no limits” to the Sino-Russian relationship, the Chinese leader must now judge whether there are, in fact, some limits to his partnership with Moscow. Reports citing “US officials” allege that Russia has requested military and economic assistance from China since the war in Ukraine began. While China has dismissed the claims as “disinformation”, Xi must now consider how much he is prepared to risk to support the man he has called his “best, most intimate friend”.
Russia and China have always been frenemies with benefits rather than allies. Xi Jinping has to decide just what the Hell the benefits are with Russia flailing in Ukraine.
Right now, Putin is seemingly demonstrating that a revitalized NATO could contain and defeat Russia, allowing America to focus on China. All Russia might do is drag China into a war with America and its allies before Xi thinks China is ready.
Does China really want Russia's delusions of grandeur to be an anchor and liability like Mussolini was to Hitler?
Perhaps not. This is interesting:
In a piece published on 12 March on a website run by the Carter Center, a US non-profit, Hu wrote that “hope of Russia’s victory is slim”. ... He urges the Chinese government to distance itself from Moscow quickly. “China cannot be tied to Putin and needs to be cut off as soon as possible… China can only proceed by safeguarding its own best interests, choosing the lesser of two evils, and unloading the burden of Russia.”
Unloading the burden is really an opportunity, no? China could get quite the consolation prize.
[NOTE: I continue war updates in this post.]
