On February 27, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told her in a phone call with German Foreign Minister Balbok why Russia’s security concerns were “in the context of five consecutive rounds of NATO’s eastward expansion.” needs to be resolved.
Wang Yi, a close friend of Chinese President Xi Jinping, said the Cold War was long over and NATO must reconsider its position and responsibilities. He bluntly told the German minister that China did not support sanctions on Russia because it would create a lose-lose situation.
On February 24, the day Russia invaded Ukraine, a landmark event that ensured a return to the Cold War in Europe, the US-led NATO led an attack on Moscow and its allies. The security situation in Europe is further complicated as Russia’s surrogate Belarus amends its constitution, removing the word neutrality and allowing the placement of Russian nuclear weapons (read: tactical nuclear weapons) on its soil. With the U.S. and NATO eyeing Russia for some time to come, China will get a free pass in the Indo-Pacific and may even allow its PLA to take some risks on Taiwan.
China and Russia joining forces against the US-led NATO would again be beneficial to the former; it would put India in a bind due to its military hardware relationship with Moscow. The Russia-China alliance will hit India’s security as 60% of India’s supplies and spare parts for existing military hardware still come from Moscow. Given that successive Indian governments have been more interested in purchasing foreign military equipment and less in domestic development, it will take a long time for this India-Russian buy-and-sell relationship to decouple. The number of gun scandals in the past clearly shows why buying guns in foreign currency is the first choice. To add to India’s concerns, Pakistan could join the Russia-China alliance.
Another plausible scenario, from which China would in turn benefit, is for US President Joe Biden to weaken further after the November 2022 congressional elections, and a Biden administration would be unable to pass legislation given the former’s tiny Senate majority and went on to become toothless. On the other hand, Russia’s power will weaken after economic sanctions come into effect in the coming months, sparking criticism of Putin’s regime. With both the US and Russia suffering, China will be at the forefront of becoming the world’s undisputed superpower. Russia could even be forced to sell its gas and oil to energy-hungry Beijing on terms to ensure its own economic survival.
Complete News Source : Hindustan Times
