The day after the Beijing Winter Olympic games concluded, Vladimir Putin reneged on his assurances the Russian military would not invade Ukraine. He sent troops into the Ukrainian Donbass Region. Three days later, Feb 24, Russia conducted a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The world was shocked at the brazen naked aggression, and brutality against civilians and most nations spoke out in condemnation. Shockingly, the Chinese Communist Party not only refused to condemn the invasion, but sought to further Putin’s Hitlerian explanations for aggression. Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Hua Chunying claimed: “We have stated China’s principled position on the Ukraine issue. There is a complex historical background and context on this issue. The current situation is the result of the interplay of various factors… If all parties had done more to promote peace, showed more respect and accommodation for each other’s security concerns..”
She refused to criticize Russia, but instead put blame on the United States. Though Vladimir Putin started planning the invasion of Ukraine shortly after the Afghanistan withdrawal debacle, this invasion was enabled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Putin’s continuation, despite crippling sanctions, is also explained by the CCP. Let me explain.
First, it’s important to understand that a number of Western elites, including those in the media, have been the target of a CCP strategy called “elite capture”. Award winning author and journalist Peter Schweizer explained the CCP thinking on this: “If we can capture them with sweetheart deals, with other benefits, we can effectively lobotomize the United States by making them unresponsive to our threats,” In his book “Red Handed”, Schweizer provides detailed evidence of the ways the CCP has compromised many American elites. As an example, Joe Biden never once called out CCP duplicity with Russia during his State of the Union speech. Schweizer devotes part of his book to the ways in which the Biden family has been part of the elite capture by the CCP.
The “hidden” truth is that China has attached itself to Russia in a way seldom seen between great powers in history, and that now includes the Ukraine invasion. From an Economist article penned a few weeks before the Ukraine invasion: “When President Xi Jinping welcomes Vladimir Putin, the Russian leader he calls his “best friend”, to a planned summit just before the Beijing Winter Olympics open on February 4th, powerful interests will bind the two men. China has capital to invest, technology to sell and an ever-growing appetite for oil, gas and other commodities. Russia’s economy, though ailing, complements China’s, offering natural resources that can be supplied via pipelines and railways which are—in happy contrast with maritime supply routes—immune to blockade by foreign navies… Both see a world order being reshaped.. creating chances to test and divide the democratic West. Chinese and Russian diplomats and propaganda organs relay and amplify parallel narratives about the benefits of iron-fisted order over American-style dysfunction.
A number of senior Western officials have noted the danger of this alliance and its targeting of the Western liberal order. Liz Truss, UK foreign secretary, described the relationship as one “emboldened in a way we haven’t seen since the cold war”. Rep. Mike Gallagher (R), Wisconsin described the solid Chinese support of Vladimir Putin’s actions against Western interests: “The Chinese support all of Putin’s narrative to blame the West for provoking Russia, I see no change in the Chinese views on Russia. They remain in a de facto alliance against the West at this point.” Experts note that China’s “Belt and Road initiative” (BRI) has shackled a number of nations through economic compromise to follow CCP bidding. China and BRI countries provide assurance to Putin he can overcome American and European sanctions.
It is not surprising that during Putin’s February 4 special visit with Chinese Premier Xi in Beijing, both nations issued a 5000-word statement about their alliance. They described their partnership having “no limits” and they would be establishing their own global order with authentic “democracy”.
Around the time of the visit either Xi or other Chinese officials asked Putin to hold off his invasion of Ukraine until after the Olympics. According to the New York Times “A Western intelligence report said senior Chinese officials told senior Russian officials in early February not to invade Ukraine before the end of the Winter Olympics in Beijing”
China denies it, but as the invasion happened literally the day after the Olympics concluded, this denial has the credibility of “Bagdad Bob”. What we do know is that Putin is not stupid and would have known the West would sanction him in a draconian manner. He would only have risked these sanctions if he knew China and BRI nations “had his back”. Unfortunately, they do have his back as we are seeing.
Putin’s invasion of Ukraine would not have happened, and could not continue, without the help of the CCP. Its time for America and Western Allies to put rightful blame on not just Russia, but the CCP, and demand China stop enabling Putin to risk a nuclear holocaust. “Righteousness exalts a Nation” (Proverbs 14:34). It’s time we demand righteousness of our leadership in confronting the CCP over their role in naked aggression.
Bill Connor, is an Orangeburg, S.C. attorney, Army Infantry Colonel and author of the book “Articles from War.”
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