China’s accelerated military buildup is the latest evidence that anyone who counts on the Chinese Communist Party to bring peace to Ukraine is delusional.
At the opening of its annual People’s Congress last Sunday, the Chinese government announced a 7.2 percent increase in its military budget, bringing China’s total military spending this year to $224 billion. China’s actual military expenditures will undoubtedly be much higher. Still, the timing of Beijing’s announcement is interesting because only a week ago, at the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Beijing cast itself as a peacemaker by issuing a 12-point “peace plan.”
But China’s accelerated military buildup is the latest evidence that anyone who counts on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to bring peace to Ukraine is delusional. Beijing’s actions always speak louder than its words.
We shouldn’t take Beijing’s “peace plan” too seriously for three reasons. First, it lacks details and actionable items. For example, it calls for resolving the humanitarian crisis and protecting the supply chains but offers neither concrete steps nor a timetable. China does not commit to taking any specific actions to foster peace in its plan.
Second, Beijing repeated the same talking points. It called for “abandoning the Cold War mentality,” which sounds nice on paper, but it has been Beijing’s go-to criticism of Washington on almost everything the U.S. does, from the investigation of the origin of Covid-19 to establishing a security pact with Australia and the United Kingdom.
Additionally, it seems China has already embraced a Cold War mentality. Last February, China’s leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a joint statement, claiming their “relationship has no limit” and opposing the U.S.-led world order and value system. At the CCP’s 20th Congress, Xi warned his comrades that “external attempts to suppress and contain China may escalate at any time.” Last Sunday, when China’s Premier Li Keqiang announced the military budget increase, he called on the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to “carry out military operations, boost combat preparedness and enhance military capabilities to accomplish the tasks entrusted to them by the Party and the people.” It sounds like a nation that is ready for war.
Third, Beijing has a credibility issue since it often doesn’t live up to its own rhetoric. For instance, its peace plan calls for respecting the sovereignty of all countries because “all countries, big or small, strong or weak, rich or poor, are equal members of the international community.” It sounds good, except Beijing often does the opposite. Ask China’s neighbors in...
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I'm sure that you post some things just for informational purposes. But, sometimes you post something that comes across as straight out of the Swamp. There are no good guys in government, regardless of where they are in the world. Guess what? You are responsible for the government you live under. That is the only thing you have any business being concerned about. The government you live under is evil. The Chinese government is evil, too. Not your responsibility. Oh, it is your responsibility not to let your own evil government provide incentives to businesses to offshore American production, but that boat left a long time ago. Clean your own house first. Not that that will happen, but still.....
ReplyDeleteGiven that the US has refused multiple peace offerings, through various friendly and enemy sources, and that we all but pushed Russia to defend it's NATO, non-Russian buffer zone? Who the hell would be on the US's side? Even India is taking a defensive tack. Europe isn't far from leaving the current regime, because we bombed their primary source of fuel right before winter.
ReplyDeleteThis isn't America, this is the USSA. I wouldn't fight or die for what is passing for a democratic republic, but is really a deep state tyranny. Just look at all the data the government is collecting on citizens in the Utah desert.
Not my goverment. My country, but not under our rule.
Dealing with China: so far no nation has learned not to deal with China as its untrustworthy and dishonest, look at Hong Kong as an example as China violated their terms of agreement with the British when the British turned Hong Kong back over to China and China stated it would keep the 42 year contract intact as agreed. China did not keep that agreement.
ReplyDelete