China ready to be Moscow’s mule

By Scoop
March 16, 2022 · less than 3 min read

US officials fear China has already made up its mind on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, with military aid to Russia looking more and more likely.

Putin bullish in China’s shop

After numerous sanctions imposed by the west on Russia after its invasion of Ukraine, Putin and co. are now looking to turn to China to supply them with military weaponry and support, with drones, armored vehicles and ammunition high on the wish list.

In the face of these huge sanctions, Russian resources are extremely limited, and with a dire need for economic and financial aid, US officials are concerned that China are going to be more than obliging.

US and China agree to disagree

A meeting between US and Chinese delegations in Rome proved to be intense, but not exactly fruitful for diplomacy. Negotiation was put on the backburner, and instead involved seven hours of “candid, direct exchange of views” according to one US senior administration official.

With nearly all of its $640bn in gold and foreign exchange reserves rendered inaccessible, Russia still holds part of those reserves in yuan – opening the door for cooperation with China. But there’s one thing in the back of the mind for those in Beijing: If they play ball with Russia, Biden’s administration will be encouraging US allies to rethink their relationships with China.

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