The short answer is: Yes, they are. But in the midst of all of the recent hullabaloo emanating from the Washington White House, both internally and internationally, as well as the ongoing negotiations over the Ukraine and Gaza situations, China seems to have been relegated to Page Two for the moment.

But not for long.

We must never turn our backs on, or in any way underestimate, the Chinese. Over the past 50-plus years, their relations with Russia have waxed and waned, as have their relations with the United States. And through it all, they’ve grown stronger — economically, diplomatically, and militarily. Make no mistake: they are a force to be reckoned with.

But right now, Chinese President Xi Jinping is faced with a conundrum. He has not criticized Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine, even filling many of the gaps in Russia’s economy created by the West’s sanctions since the onset of the war in 2022 — to the advantage of both countries, of course. And Russia has become dependent upon that relationship.

At the same time, Xi has depicted himself as a peacemaker, desirous of assisting as needed in the negotiation process . . . thus placing himself squarely on the fence between Russia and the West, but so far managing not to fall off.

Then along comes Donald Trump, back into the White House, and one of the first things he does is signal his intent to improve relations with Russia by anointing himself the only person in the world who can bring about a peaceful end to the Ukraine conflict. So — completely ignoring the opposition of virtually the entire Western world, the sanctions imposed on Russia by most of America’s allies, and the criminal warrant issued against Putin by the International Criminal Court — he picks up the phone and calls his Russian counterpart, effectively bringing Putin out of purgatory and back into a place of power.

And, if all goes according to plan, before long Russia will no longer be reliant upon China’s increased trade . . . which, needless to say, President Xi finds more than a little distressing. Not to mention the question of whose side Russia would take in the event of a military conflict between China and and its next intended acquisition: Taiwan.

In fact, at the recent Munich Security Conference, U.S. special envoy for Ukraine and Russia Keith Kellogg bluntly stated that the United States aims “to force” Putin into actions he would be “uncomfortable with,” including disrupting Moscow’s ties with China, Iran and North Korea. [Reid Standish, RFE/RL, February 21, 2025.]

And U.S. Vice President JD Vance said in a February 14th interview with The Wall Street Journal that Washington is prepared to reset its relationship with Russia as a move to end Russia’s isolation and its growing dependence on China. [Id.]

*. *. *

To look at it as the most simplistic of analogies, what we seem to have here is a classic case of two high school boys who have been best friends for years, who suddenly find they’re both madly in love with the same girl. And what happens to this trio will depend entirely on the young lady in question. If she is decent and honorable, she will decide which of the young men she likes better, and tell the unfortunate one, as gently as possible, how she feels. With any luck, and hopefully a mature attitude on the part of both boys, they can remain friends.

But if the girl is a slut, and decides she wants to date both of her admirers and play them off against each other, well . . . “trouble” doesn’t adequately describe what they’re in for.

So I suggest you stay tuned for the next chapters of this high-stakes soap opera in your daily news reports, folks . . . it’s bound to be interesting.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
2/22/25