China is clear about its territorial ambitions. Why isn't Russia wetting their pantskies?
Xi Jinping was talking about the South China Sea, but the principle is broad, no?
Mr Xi added that China had peaceful intentions, but reasserted his view that there would be no concessions from China about what it considers to be Chinese territory.
"We cannot lose even one inch of the territory left behind by our ancestors," Mr Xi said, according to Chinese state media. "What is other people's we do not want at all."
This is an old quote from 2018. But China still has Xi. And Xi hasn't retracted his broad claims.
Which is a huge problem for Russia:
China's communists take pride in restoring China from their nadir of humiliation at the hands of the Europeans. Western enclaves in China's ports where Western law was supreme and actual formal loss of territory to Europeans like at Macao and Hong Kong added to the pain.I thought Russia should worry even before Russia wrecked its military in Ukraine, giving China a great opportunity.
But China has regained control of their coasts, including the former colonies. China has no actual territorial disputes with America or Europe.
That is not the case with Russia, the last European state to control territory seized from China when it was weak. China isn't shy about claiming other land. Why would Russia be the exception?
Is it really out of line for me to speculate--especially after their military redistrict reorganization--that China might really think of Russia as their prime military target?
The Winter War of 2022 has made the talk of a Russia-China alliance seem rather overwrought:
What has emerged is nothing like an axis of autocrats, but a lopsided partnership in which the terms are defined by its alpha member, Xi Jinping, primarily to serve China’s interests.
They are frenemies at best, with Russia the vassal state in the relationship.
NOTE: Winter War of 2022 coverage continues here.
