The US has recently begun seeing “disturbing” trendlines in China’s support for Russia’s military and there are signs that Beijing wants to “creep up to the line” of providing lethal military aid to Russia without getting caught, US officials familiar with the intelligence told CNN.

 

The officials would not describe in detail what intelligence the US has seen suggesting a recent shift in China’s posture, but said US officials have been concerned enough that they have shared the intelligence with allies and partners at the Munich Security Conference over the last several days.

 

Secretary of State Antony Blinken raised the issue when he met with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, on Saturday on the sidelines of the conference, officials said.

 

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/02/18/politics/us-warns-allies-china-russia/index.html

 

It really has been China/Russia all along. One and the same, essentially, plotting to disrupt the international order and impose totalitarian dictatorships in their own image. This should be the last straw. Western nations should move to sever their relations with China/Russia and isolate the former along with the latter. And, yes, Thailand you will be forced to choose.

39 minutes ago, John Drake said:

It really has been China/Russia all along. One and the same, essentially, plotting to disrupt the international order and impose totalitarian dictatorships in their own image. This should be the last straw. Western nations should move to sever their relations with China/Russia and isolate the former along with the latter. And, yes, Thailand you will be forced to choose.

Well to be sure, no one wants to actually utter the words but we are moving back into a cold war; Democracies vs Autocracies.

 

The wonderful idea of peace and harmony we had after the end of the last cold war is pretty much shot to pieces.

 

Global trade is rapidly returning home, or at least to like minded countries, and the idea of disarmament is now a pipe dream.

 

Never was a fan of Reagan, but he had it right in the end. 

 

He saw that if you had an arms race the West could bankrupt the other side.

 

I think it might be time to repeat history

9 hours ago, onthedarkside said:

US officials familiar with the intelligence

Not sure how to read that.

4 hours ago, farmerjo said:

Not sure how to read that.

Read it like the folks that helped to destroy the Soviet Union read it like the folks that are trying to gain the knowledge so the folks in charge can make safe and sound decisions as far as China providing offensive weapons to Russia that imo Will really open the flood gates for western aircraft cruse missiles ect ect im sure at the very least old Putin will lose his Black Sea Fleet and his bridge of looting to Crimea and most likely lead to a second Cold War 

China and Russia turned the tide of the Korean War then the Vietnam War, then China won the Cold War.  They are on a roll.

 

Unfortunately, at a time the "Free World" most needs great leaders, we have duds in every country.

It's not that simple. China makes most of its trade with western countries and Russia's economy weights peanuts. 3% of China trade.

3 minutes ago, candide said:

It's not that simple. China makes most of its trade with western countries and Russia's economy weights peanuts. 3% of China trade.

I agree China doesn’t want to kill the golden goose we in the west need to call their bluff 

41 minutes ago, Kinnock said:

China and Russia turned the tide of the Korean War then the Vietnam War, then China won the Cold War.  They are on a roll.

 

Unfortunately, at a time the "Free World" most needs great leaders, we have duds in every country.

Which countries do you consider have good leaders?

1 hour ago, ozimoron said:

Which countries do you consider have good leaders?

Can't think of any.  

Just now, Kinnock said:

Can't think of any.  

I wondered because you said the "Free World" had no good leaders. That implied that perhaps some of the not so "Free" countries perhaps did have. So you meant that the world has no good leaders then. Thanks for clarifying that.

Just now, ozimoron said:

I wondered because you said the "Free World" had no good leaders. That implied that perhaps some of the not so "Free" countries perhaps did have. So you meant that the world has no good leaders then. Thanks for clarifying that.

Yes ..... we seem to have a worldwide absence of good leaders at the very time we need good leadership.  

2 minutes ago, Kinnock said:

Yes ..... we seem to have a worldwide absence of good leaders at the very time we need good leadership.  

I'd agree with that and go further. It seems that the current crop of world leaders at present is the worst we have seen since world war 2. I'd suggest Zelensky is the best of them.