Is it my imagination or do some Western analysts have some type of China-worship complex, believing that old civilization runs rings around ADHD Westerners?
This analysis about the West and Russia is ridiculous:
To our eternal shame, Xi Jinping has spectacularly outwitted the West, drastically expanded his global influence, and turned Russia into a Chinese protectorate in all but name.
One, China expanded its influence because it greatly expanded its economy, trade, military, and lending. Just like past great powers have done in some combination. We'll see how that translates into lasting influence.
Fear of China's territorial ambitions and debt collectors isn't lasting influence.
And I will concede--barring a massive Western own-goal by choosing to let Putin win his invasion of Ukraine--that Russia accelerated its path to vassal status under China by invading Ukraine (again) in 2022.
This gargantuan error is all on Putin. The shame--and perhaps punishment--is on him.
I've long wanted the situation to be otherwise. But throwing Ukraine under the bus was never going to flip Russia to the West.
And nobody asks if China wants a defeated, weakened, and isolated Russia as a vassal. I'm just not seeing evidence that China outwitted the West. The author does make some good points after that, I concede.
But the Russia-China relationship is not our fault. And it isn't some deep diabolically clever plan by those Chinese rulers with the magically genetic long-term planning skills.
NOTE: TDR Winter War of 2022 coverage continues here.
