China’s Xi to meet Putin as Beijing seeks bolder global role

[Stevicus]

China's Xi to meet Putin as Beijing seeks bolder global role

Chinese President Xi Jinping is planning to visit Russia next week in a diplomatic boost for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

apnews.com

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Chinese President Xi Jinping plans to visit Moscow next week, offering a major diplomatic boost to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the same day the International Criminal Court announced it wants to put the Russian leader on trial for alleged war crimes.

Xi’s visit was the latest sign of Beijing’s emboldened diplomatic ambitions, and came amid sharpening East-West tensions over the war in Ukraine, now in its 13th month.

The U.S. on Friday said it would oppose any effort by China at the meeting to propose a ceasefire in Ukraine as the “ratification of Russian conquest.”

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby encouraged Xi to reach out to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to get his country’s perspective on the war and avoid any “one-sided” proposals.

China is also reaching out to Ukraine.

On Thursday, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang reached out to his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba, saying Beijing was concerned about the war spinning out of control and urging talks on a political solution with Moscow.

China has “always upheld an objective and fair stance on the Ukraine issue, has committed itself to promoting peace and advancing negotiations, and calls on the international community to create conditions for peace talks,” Qin said.

Kuleba later tweeted that he and Qin “discussed the significance of the principle of territorial integrity.” Ukraine has listed Russia’s withdrawal from the occupied areas as the main condition for peace.

“I underscored the importance of (Zelenskyy’s) peace formula for ending the aggression and restoring just peace in Ukraine,” wrote Kuleba, who spoke the same day with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

China last month called for a cease-fire and peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow. Zelenskyy cautiously welcomed Beijing’s involvement but the overture appeared to go no further.

Yurii Poita, head of the Asia section at the Kyiv-based New Geopolitics Research Network, believes the Ukrainian government is going along with China’s involvement because it is reluctant to make another powerful enemy.

“Do not antagonize the dragon when you are fighting against a bear,” Poita told The Associated Press.

Beijing’s apparent deeper dive into Ukraine issues follows its success last week in brokering talks between Iran and its chief Middle Eastern rival, Saudi Arabia. Those two countries agreed to restore their diplomatic ties after years of tensions.

The agreement cast China in a leading role in Middle Eastern politics, a part previously reserved for longtime global heavyweights like the U.S.

“Do not antagonize the dragon when you are fighting against a bear.” There's a memorable quote.

Of course, Russia and China have had closer ties of late, so there's nothing new or surprising by this visit. A "no limits" friendship between the two. A far cry from the days of the Sino-Soviet split, which was quite advantageous for US interests during the Cold War.

I recall a few years ago, there was an analysis by military strategists who projected that, in the event of a war where Russia and China were combined against the US, the US would lose. (Would the US Really Lose a War With China and Russia?)

Do Russia and China want to conquer the world? Or is it possible that they see themselves as equal players on the world stage, with the same sovereign rights to pursue their national interests, in the same manner and using the same ways and means as America has done? Relations between our nations were much improved 25-30 years ago, but did they suddenly go rogue for no reason? Did we do something wrong?

Well, in any case, it looks like interesting times are afoot. If we're past the point of no return, then I guess it's time to prepare and expand the size of our military forces. Are the American people politically and psychologically prepared for something like this, if it does happen? What about our allies? Are they prepared?

 

[Twilight Hue]

I see it as an effort to resurrect a type of "Warsaw Pact" .

Nothing that hasn't been seen before.

 

[Stevicus]

I see it as an effort to resurrect a type of "Warsaw Pact" .

Nothing that hasn't been seen before.

True, although a key benefit enjoyed by the West during the Cold War was that Russia and China became enemies. This put the US in an advantageous position of being able to play them off against each other. By the late 70s and 1980s, the Russians were more afraid of China than they were the U.S.

Now, all of that has completely changed.

 

[Wu Wei]

Interesting thing is, historically, every time China has had an association with Russia, it always ended badly for China.

 

[Stevicus]

Interesting thing is, historically, every time China has had an association with Russia, it always ended badly for China.

Both were ruled by the Mongol Empire at one point.

 

[Wu Wei]

Both were ruled by the Mongol Empire at one point.

True, but getting invaded and taken over is a little different than China seeking to help or allie with Russia

Interesting fact, the Yuan Dynasty (Mongol) was the only group of invaders that ruled China that were not assimilated into Chinese culture. All the rest pretty much ended up Chinese in the end and lost their original culture

 

[Stevicus]

True, but getting invaded and taken over is a little different than China seeking to help or allie with Russia

Interesting fact, the Yuan Dynasty (Mongol) was the only group of invaders that ruled China that were not assimilated into Chinese culture. All the rest pretty much ended up Chinese in the end and lost their original culture

You think that could happen to the Russians? I know the Chinese have had their eyes on Siberia for quite some time, and they've also been making diplomatic and economic inroads into Central Asia (former Soviet Republics).

Another country to look at would be India, as they have also had friendly relations with the Russians in the past, but not so much with the Chinese. Still, if the Russians, Chinese, and Indians get together and form some kind of "Tripartite Pact," then that could shift the balance of power.

 

[Wu Wei]

You think that could happen to the Russians? I know the Chinese have had their eyes on Siberia for quite some time, and they've also been making diplomatic and economic inroads into Central Asia (former Soviet Republics).

Another country to look at would be India, as they have also had friendly relations with the Russians in the past, but not so much with the Chinese. Still, if the Russians, Chinese, and Indians get together and form some kind of "Tripartite Pact," then that could shift the balance of power.

I'm not going to debate a historical fact, not even why I threw in my 2 cents, every time China has gotten involved with Russia, not talking invasion, talking alliance, or political association, China has always come out the loser.

And I honestly do not think China gives a hoot about Siberia. China is currently involved in a type of diplomacy (I believe it is called belt and road) that involves giving other countries large sums of money in return for Chinese control of sections of that country. They tried this in India and got kicked out, besides India and China are currently involved in an undeclared mini border war. I doubt the possibility of a tripartite pact.

India is currently walking the fence between the USA and Russia. As far as shifty in the balance of power, Chins is looking to do that all on their own...with money

 

[Stevicus]

I'm not going to debate a historical fact, not even why I threw in my 2 cents, every time China has gotten involved with Russia, not talking invasion, talking alliance, or political association, China has always come out the loser.

And I honestly do not think China gives a hoot about Siberia. China is currently involved in a type of diplomacy (I believe it is called belt and road) that involves giving other countries large sums of money in return for Chinese control of sections of that country. They tried this in India and got kicked out, besides India and China are currently involved in an undeclared mini border war. I doubt the possibility of a tripartite pact.

India is currently walking the fence between the USA and Russia. As far as shifty in the balance of power, Chins is looking to do that all on their own...with money

Well, we're both just speculating at this point. We don't know what's going to happen tomorrow. I'm just saying that we might need to think about shoring up our own weaknesses here at home.