Until at least 2023, if you talked to top brass at USIndoPacom about the Russians and Chinese getting together you'd hear a sniff; behind all that bonhomie, the narrative went, is deep distrust between Moscow and Beijing. There is little for the US, or anyone else for that matter, to worry about.
What about the massive military exercises Russia conducts in the East, some involving the Chinese military as well that have implications for Taiwan? Ah, that's meant to send a message to Beijing as much as to anyone else about Russian military capability.
What about the "no limits" partnership the two announced in February 2022, just before the Russian invasion of Ukraine? Oh, we believe President Vladimir Putin didn't specifically discuss his invasion plans with President Xi Jinping, and the Chinese were as surprised as anyone else when it came.
In February 2023, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told a CNN town hall hosted by Fareed Zakaria that any talk of Russia and China being unbreakable allies was "a cartoonish notion".
Around the same time, this column talked of Western diplomats hinting at what appeared to be quiet moves by Beijing to help Russia rebuild its war machine. Surprise, surprise! Today, these accusations are commonplace and publicly made.
Thanks in part to help from Beijing, Moscow has rebuilt its war machine. The war itself is going badly for Ukraine, even as it awaits the long-promised aid from the US that was held up in Congress. Officially, China says it supports peace in Ukraine and is neutral in the conflict.
If proof were needed for delusional Americans to do a rethink on so much they had taken for granted about the Sino-Russian relationship, they only needed to watch this week's developments in Beijing.
この記事は The Straits Times の May 18, 2024 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、8,500 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は The Straits Times の May 18, 2024 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、8,500 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
Pritam Singh's trial over alleged lies to Parliament slated to start in Oct
The trial of opposition leader and Workers' Party (WP) chief Pritam Singh is slated for October and November, court records on May 31 show.
S'pore units of Shell, ExxonMobil among 9 firms critical to national security under new law
Singapore issued a list of nine companies that will need to seek government approval for changes in their ownership or leadership, among other things, as they are deemed critical to national security interests.
Ingebrigtsen dives to dramatic 1,500m win
Jakob Ingebrigtsen ensured a raucous end to a thrilling Diamond League meet in front of his home fans in Oslo by hurling himself over the line to snatch victory in the men's 1,500m in 3min 29.74sec on May 30.
PATIENCE THE DIFFERENCE
Loh blows early leads in both sets to lose a frustrating quarter-final to Li
RAGING RUBLEV IMPLODES IN PARIS
World No. 6 is the highest men’s seed to exit Roland Garros after loss to Italian Arnaldi
ANIKI, A LATE SILVER BULLET FOR 70YO KHOO
From forlorn hope at netting elusive feature win, veteran trainer suddenly gets a shot
Ringgit overcomes slow start in 2024 as inflows rise
The Malaysian ringgit has raced ahead of all its Asian peers in the past three months and, if market watchers are right, the move is set to gain traction.
US economy grows less than estimated in Ql as consumer spending cools
The US economy grew less than initially estimated in the first quarter of 2024 as consumer spending cooled, the government reported on May 30.
Over half of S'pore CEOs have pushed sustainability down in their to-do list: Poll
Decarbonisation has taken a back seat among corporate leaders in Singapore, a quarterly survey by EY has found.
Govts, people must join hands to fight deepfakes: Panellists
They need to share and learn from one another; technology not the silver bullet