Ticker Views
Why Putin’s war in Ukraine has come a decade too soon for Xi Jinping
Russia has asked China to help with military hardware, as it fights against a stronger than expected resistance in Ukraine.
China is shaping up to be a major player in Russia’s war in Ukraine, whether it wants to or not.
But Russia’s surprise engagement in Europe comes at a bad time for China.
For Xi Jinping and the leaders of his communist regime in Beijing, it was never meant to be like this.
Just last month, on the eve of China’s winter Olympic games, https://tickernews.co/putin-lands-in-china-as-beijing-olympics-get-underway/Vladimir Putin flew in to meet with his fellow US counterweight.
Both leaders united, rejecting what they called the west’s interference in their internal affairs.
They even pledged to deepen back to back strategic cooperation.
But as Putin jetted home into the beginning of the Ukrainian war, no one knows exactly how much Xi Jinping knew of his plans. Even Putin’s allies in Moscow were caught off guard.
Putin thought the war .. would be wrapped up within days But that hasn’t happened. And now Moscow wants China’s help.
But for China, choosing between Russia or the West has come a decade too soon, according to geo-political analysts.
For years China has been trending towards self reliance, but it’s not there yet. It still relies heavily on foreign banks, on imported computer chips, coal and iron ore.
It’s population of 1.4 billion people makes up a huge market – but the people aren’t wealthy enough to create the internal circulation model that Xi Jinping dreams of.
And now Vladimir Putin has forced a confrontation with the west.
If China sides with Russia, it could face sanctions its never seen before, and could upend the global economy. Companies like Apple that rely on Chinese parts and labour would be hit overnight.
But China must now make a choice it’s not ready to make. And if Putin’s regime falls, NATO could arrive on its doorstep, ending any plans it has for Taiwan.