beijingwalker
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You should follow more about what they do, not what they say.
Why the Chinese Internet Is Cheering Russia’s Invasion
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j20blackdragon
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Credit Suisse's Pozsar says commodities crisis could weaken Eurodollar, boost yuan
March 8 (Reuters) - China's central bank is uniquely placed to backstop a global commodities crisis sparked by sanctions imposed in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, potentially paving the way for a much stronger yuan, a Credit Suisse investment strategist said.
In a note published on Monday, Zoltan Pozsar, global head of the bank's short-term interest rate strategy, said the unfolding crisis in Ukraine had led to a "perfect storm" in commodities that could weaken the Eurodollar system, contribute to inflation in Western economies and threaten financial stability.
"This crisis is not like anything we have seen since President Nixon took the U.S. dollar off gold in 1971 – the end of the era of commodity-based money," said Pozsar. "When this crisis (and war) is over, the U.S. dollar should be much weaker and ... the renminbi much stronger, backed by a basket of commodities."
Russia's invasion, the biggest attack on a European state since World War Two, has created 1.7 million refugees, fears of wider conflict in the West and led to a raft of sanctions on Moscow.
The conflict has driven surges in global commodity prices, pushing nickel prices to a record high and oil to a 14-year peak. Russia has warned a ban on Russian oil imports could jolt the cost of a barrel to $300.
"Russian commodities today are like subprime (collateralised debt obligations) were in 2008. Conversely, non-Russian commodities are like U.S. Treasury securities were back in 2008. One collapsing in price, and the other one surging in price, with margin calls on both regardless of which side you are on," Pozsar said.
Western central banks, held back by sanctions imposed by their own governments, will not be able to provide support such as emergency liquidity needed to close market gaps, he said, adding that the People's Bank of China (PBOC) faced no such restrictions.
Pozsar said selling U.S. Treasuries to fund vessel leasing and purchases of cheap Russian commodities would help the PBOC control inflation in China, while leading to commodity shortages, recession, and higher yields in Western economies.
Alternatively, the PBOC could print yuan to buy Russian commodities.
"That's the birth of the Eurorenminbi market and China's first real step to break the hegemony of the Eurodollar market. That is also inflationary for the West and means less demand for long-term Treasuries," Pozsar said.
Russia calls the campaign it launched on Feb. 24 a "special military operation", saying it has no plans to occupy Ukraine.
www.reuters.com
March 8 (Reuters) - China's central bank is uniquely placed to backstop a global commodities crisis sparked by sanctions imposed in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, potentially paving the way for a much stronger yuan, a Credit Suisse investment strategist said.
In a note published on Monday, Zoltan Pozsar, global head of the bank's short-term interest rate strategy, said the unfolding crisis in Ukraine had led to a "perfect storm" in commodities that could weaken the Eurodollar system, contribute to inflation in Western economies and threaten financial stability.
"This crisis is not like anything we have seen since President Nixon took the U.S. dollar off gold in 1971 – the end of the era of commodity-based money," said Pozsar. "When this crisis (and war) is over, the U.S. dollar should be much weaker and ... the renminbi much stronger, backed by a basket of commodities."
Russia's invasion, the biggest attack on a European state since World War Two, has created 1.7 million refugees, fears of wider conflict in the West and led to a raft of sanctions on Moscow.
The conflict has driven surges in global commodity prices, pushing nickel prices to a record high and oil to a 14-year peak. Russia has warned a ban on Russian oil imports could jolt the cost of a barrel to $300.
"Russian commodities today are like subprime (collateralised debt obligations) were in 2008. Conversely, non-Russian commodities are like U.S. Treasury securities were back in 2008. One collapsing in price, and the other one surging in price, with margin calls on both regardless of which side you are on," Pozsar said.
Western central banks, held back by sanctions imposed by their own governments, will not be able to provide support such as emergency liquidity needed to close market gaps, he said, adding that the People's Bank of China (PBOC) faced no such restrictions.
Pozsar said selling U.S. Treasuries to fund vessel leasing and purchases of cheap Russian commodities would help the PBOC control inflation in China, while leading to commodity shortages, recession, and higher yields in Western economies.
Alternatively, the PBOC could print yuan to buy Russian commodities.
"That's the birth of the Eurorenminbi market and China's first real step to break the hegemony of the Eurodollar market. That is also inflationary for the West and means less demand for long-term Treasuries," Pozsar said.
Russia calls the campaign it launched on Feb. 24 a "special military operation", saying it has no plans to occupy Ukraine.
Credit Suisse's Pozsar says commodities crisis could weaken Eurodollar, boost yuan
China's central bank is uniquely placed to backstop a global commodities crisis sparked by sanctions imposed in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, potentially paving the way for a much stronger yuan, a Credit Suisse investment strategist said.
j20blackdragon
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Oil surges as U.S. and Britain cut off Russian crude
www.reuters.com
"We're banning all imports of Russian oil and gas and energy," said President Biden.
"That means Russian oil will no longer be acceptable at US ports and the American people will deal another powerful blow to [President Vladimir] Putin."
Oil surges as U.S. bans Russian crude, Britain to phase out purchases
Oil prices settled around 4% higher on Tuesday as the United States banned Russian oil imports and Britain said it will phase them out by year end, decisions expected to further disrupt the global energy market where Russia is the second-largest exporter of crude.
"We're banning all imports of Russian oil and gas and energy," said President Biden.
"That means Russian oil will no longer be acceptable at US ports and the American people will deal another powerful blow to [President Vladimir] Putin."
j20blackdragon
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Kremlin tells United States to await response to "economic war"
www.reuters.com
Kremlin tells United States to await response to "economic war"
The Kremlin accused the United States on Wednesday of declaring an economic war on Russia that was sowing mayhem through energy markets, and put Washington on notice it was considering its response to a ban on Russian oil and energy.
j20blackdragon
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j20blackdragon
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Russia has warned that it will fire on western armaments shipments to Kyiv, raising the risk of a direct military confrontation between Moscow and Nato during the war in Ukraine.
Deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Saturday that “pumping up [Ukraine] with weapons from a whole range of countries” was “not just a dangerous move — it’s something that turns these convoys into legitimate military targets”
www.ft.com
Deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Saturday that “pumping up [Ukraine] with weapons from a whole range of countries” was “not just a dangerous move — it’s something that turns these convoys into legitimate military targets”
Russia threatens to attack western weapons shipments to Ukraine
Warning raises risk of direct confrontation between Moscow and Nato
Menthol
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Russia has been punched by the West.
And you blame Russia for punching back?
It's better to retrospect to our own actions.
And why do you think the case is over just in Ukraine?
Even if Russia gives up Ukraine, the West will not stop the punch.
And then, there will be a new crisis over and over again.
Why don't just resolve it once for all, even though it's the ugliest way in entire human history and pre-history.
The only one who can solve this problem is the cause of the problem, the West itself.
This crisis is huge, much much bigger than Ukraine itself.
Why do people fail to see???
Menthol
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Blue and green are the map where nuclear missiles are landed.
For the rest of us, it's extremely wise to be just silent and neutral.
There will be a new much much better world await for us.
j20blackdragon
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“Many sovereigns, including U.S.-aligned countries, have realized owning massive amounts of dollars lead to an illusion of stability,” said Victor Xing, principal at Kekselias Inc. “In any moment, a political decision could lead to that dollar reserve being frozen or seized. The Saudis could be anticipating this shift, and pricing crude in yuan would increase their trade surplus in yuan and reduce dollar holdings in an organic way.”
www.bloomberg.com
Yuan Jumps After Report on Saudis Weighing Its Use in Oil Deals
The Chinese yuan reversed earlier declines following a report by Dow Jones that Saudi Arabia is in active talks with Beijing to price some of its oil sales to China in the currency.
www.bloomberg.com
j20blackdragon
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Putin wants 'unfriendly' countries to pay for Russian gas in roubles
LONDON, March 23 (Reuters) - Russia will seek payment in roubles for gas sales from "unfriendly" countries, President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday, sending European gas prices soaring on concerns the move would exacerbate the region's energy crunch.
European countries' dependence on Russian gas to heat their homes and power their economies has been thrown into the spotlight since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24 and the subsequent imposition of Western sanctions aimed at isolating Russia economically.
With the financial noose tightening and the European Union split on whether to sanction Russia's energy sector, Putin hit back with a clear message - if you want our gas, buy our currency.
"Russia will continue, of course, to supply natural gas in accordance with volumes and prices ... fixed in previously concluded contracts," Putin said at a televised meeting with top government ministers.
"The changes will only affect the currency of payment, which will be changed to Russian roubles," he said.
Russian gas accounts for some 40% of Europe's total consumption and EU gas imports from Russia have fluctuated between 200 million to 800 million euros ($880 million) a day so far this year. The possibility that a change of currency could throw that trade into disarray sent some European wholesale gas prices up to 30% higher on Wednesday. British and Dutch wholesale gas prices had jumped by Wednesday's close.
The Russian rouble briefly leapt to a three-week high past 95 against the dollar and, despite paring some gains, stayed well below 100 after the shock announcement. The currency is down around 20% since Feb. 24.
"At face value this appears to be an attempt to prop up the Ruble by compelling gas buyers to buy the previously free-falling currency in order to pay," Vinicius Romano, senior analyst at consultancy Rystad Energy, said.
Putin said the government and central bank had one week to come up with a solution on how to move these operations into the Russian currency and that gas giant Gazprom (GAZP.MM) would be ordered to make the corresponding changes to gas contracts.
With major banks reluctant to trade in Russian assets, some Russian gas buyers in the European Union were not immediately able to clarify how they might pay for gas going forward.
Several firms, including oil and gas majors Eni, Shell and BP, RWE and Uniper - Germany's biggest importer of Russian gas - declined to comment.
Moscow calls its actions in Ukraine a "special military operation" to disarm and "denazify" its neighbour. Ukraine and Western allies call this a baseless pretext that has raised fears of wider conflict in Europe.
A BREACH OF RULES?
According to Gazprom, 58% of its sales of natural gas to Europe and other countries as of Jan. 27 were settled in euros. U.S. dollars accounted for about 39% of gross sales and sterling around 3%.
The European Commission has said it plans to cut EU dependency on Russian gas by two-thirds this year and end its reliance on Russian supplies of the fuel "well before 2030."
But unlike the United States and Britain, EU states have not agreed to sanction Russia's energy sector, given their dependency.
The Commission, the 27-country EU's executive, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
German Economy Minister Robert Habeck said on Wednesday that he would discuss with European partners a possible answer to Moscow's announcement about the gas payments.
"It is unclear how easy it would be for European clients to switch their payments to roubles given the scale of these purchases," said Leon Izbicki, associate at consultancy Energy Aspects.
"However, there are no sanctions in place that would prohibit payments of Russian gas in roubles," he said, adding that Russia's central bank could provide additional liquidity to foreign exchange markets that would enable European clients and banks to source the needed amount of roubles on the market.
However, there are questions over whether Russia's decision would breach contract rules which were agreed in euros.
"This would constitute a breach to payment rules included in the current contracts," said a senior Polish government source, adding that Poland has no intention of signing new contracts with Gazprom after their current long-term agreement expires at the end of this year.
Germany's Habeck also said Putin's demand was a breach of delivery contracts.
A spokesperson for Dutch gas supplier Eneco, which buys 15% of its gas from Gazprom's German subsidiary Wingas GmbH, said it had a long-term contract that was denominated in euros.
"I can't imagine we will agree to change the terms of that."
The Dutch Economic Affairs Ministry said it was too soon to comment.
Russia has drawn up a list of "unfriendly" countries corresponding to those that have imposed sanctions. Among other things, deals with companies and individuals from those countries have to be approved by a government commission.
The list of countries includes the United States, European Union member states, Britain, Japan, Canada, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland and Ukraine.
Some of these countries, including the United States and Norway, do not purchase Russian gas.
www.reuters.com
LONDON, March 23 (Reuters) - Russia will seek payment in roubles for gas sales from "unfriendly" countries, President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday, sending European gas prices soaring on concerns the move would exacerbate the region's energy crunch.
European countries' dependence on Russian gas to heat their homes and power their economies has been thrown into the spotlight since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24 and the subsequent imposition of Western sanctions aimed at isolating Russia economically.
With the financial noose tightening and the European Union split on whether to sanction Russia's energy sector, Putin hit back with a clear message - if you want our gas, buy our currency.
"Russia will continue, of course, to supply natural gas in accordance with volumes and prices ... fixed in previously concluded contracts," Putin said at a televised meeting with top government ministers.
"The changes will only affect the currency of payment, which will be changed to Russian roubles," he said.
Russian gas accounts for some 40% of Europe's total consumption and EU gas imports from Russia have fluctuated between 200 million to 800 million euros ($880 million) a day so far this year. The possibility that a change of currency could throw that trade into disarray sent some European wholesale gas prices up to 30% higher on Wednesday. British and Dutch wholesale gas prices had jumped by Wednesday's close.
The Russian rouble briefly leapt to a three-week high past 95 against the dollar and, despite paring some gains, stayed well below 100 after the shock announcement. The currency is down around 20% since Feb. 24.
"At face value this appears to be an attempt to prop up the Ruble by compelling gas buyers to buy the previously free-falling currency in order to pay," Vinicius Romano, senior analyst at consultancy Rystad Energy, said.
Putin said the government and central bank had one week to come up with a solution on how to move these operations into the Russian currency and that gas giant Gazprom (GAZP.MM) would be ordered to make the corresponding changes to gas contracts.
With major banks reluctant to trade in Russian assets, some Russian gas buyers in the European Union were not immediately able to clarify how they might pay for gas going forward.
Several firms, including oil and gas majors Eni, Shell and BP, RWE and Uniper - Germany's biggest importer of Russian gas - declined to comment.
Moscow calls its actions in Ukraine a "special military operation" to disarm and "denazify" its neighbour. Ukraine and Western allies call this a baseless pretext that has raised fears of wider conflict in Europe.
A BREACH OF RULES?
According to Gazprom, 58% of its sales of natural gas to Europe and other countries as of Jan. 27 were settled in euros. U.S. dollars accounted for about 39% of gross sales and sterling around 3%.
The European Commission has said it plans to cut EU dependency on Russian gas by two-thirds this year and end its reliance on Russian supplies of the fuel "well before 2030."
But unlike the United States and Britain, EU states have not agreed to sanction Russia's energy sector, given their dependency.
The Commission, the 27-country EU's executive, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
German Economy Minister Robert Habeck said on Wednesday that he would discuss with European partners a possible answer to Moscow's announcement about the gas payments.
"It is unclear how easy it would be for European clients to switch their payments to roubles given the scale of these purchases," said Leon Izbicki, associate at consultancy Energy Aspects.
"However, there are no sanctions in place that would prohibit payments of Russian gas in roubles," he said, adding that Russia's central bank could provide additional liquidity to foreign exchange markets that would enable European clients and banks to source the needed amount of roubles on the market.
However, there are questions over whether Russia's decision would breach contract rules which were agreed in euros.
"This would constitute a breach to payment rules included in the current contracts," said a senior Polish government source, adding that Poland has no intention of signing new contracts with Gazprom after their current long-term agreement expires at the end of this year.
Germany's Habeck also said Putin's demand was a breach of delivery contracts.
A spokesperson for Dutch gas supplier Eneco, which buys 15% of its gas from Gazprom's German subsidiary Wingas GmbH, said it had a long-term contract that was denominated in euros.
"I can't imagine we will agree to change the terms of that."
The Dutch Economic Affairs Ministry said it was too soon to comment.
Russia has drawn up a list of "unfriendly" countries corresponding to those that have imposed sanctions. Among other things, deals with companies and individuals from those countries have to be approved by a government commission.
The list of countries includes the United States, European Union member states, Britain, Japan, Canada, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland and Ukraine.
Some of these countries, including the United States and Norway, do not purchase Russian gas.
Putin wants 'unfriendly' countries to pay for Russian gas in roubles
Russia will seek payment in roubles for gas sold to "unfriendly" countries, President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday, and European gas prices soared on concerns the move would exacerbate the region's energy crunch.
Putin wants 'unfriendly' countries to pay for Russian gas in roubles
LONDON, March 23 (Reuters) - Russia will seek payment in roubles for gas sales from "unfriendly" countries, President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday, sending European gas prices soaring on concerns the move would exacerbate the region's energy crunch.
European countries' dependence on Russian gas to heat their homes and power their economies has been thrown into the spotlight since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24 and the subsequent imposition of Western sanctions aimed at isolating Russia economically.
With the financial noose tightening and the European Union split on whether to sanction Russia's energy sector, Putin hit back with a clear message - if you want our gas, buy our currency.
"Russia will continue, of course, to supply natural gas in accordance with volumes and prices ... fixed in previously concluded contracts," Putin said at a televised meeting with top government ministers.
"The changes will only affect the currency of payment, which will be changed to Russian roubles," he said.
Russian gas accounts for some 40% of Europe's total consumption and EU gas imports from Russia have fluctuated between 200 million to 800 million euros ($880 million) a day so far this year. The possibility that a change of currency could throw that trade into disarray sent some European wholesale gas prices up to 30% higher on Wednesday. British and Dutch wholesale gas prices had jumped by Wednesday's close.
The Russian rouble briefly leapt to a three-week high past 95 against the dollar and, despite paring some gains, stayed well below 100 after the shock announcement. The currency is down around 20% since Feb. 24.
"At face value this appears to be an attempt to prop up the Ruble by compelling gas buyers to buy the previously free-falling currency in order to pay," Vinicius Romano, senior analyst at consultancy Rystad Energy, said.
Putin said the government and central bank had one week to come up with a solution on how to move these operations into the Russian currency and that gas giant Gazprom (GAZP.MM) would be ordered to make the corresponding changes to gas contracts.
With major banks reluctant to trade in Russian assets, some Russian gas buyers in the European Union were not immediately able to clarify how they might pay for gas going forward.
Several firms, including oil and gas majors Eni, Shell and BP, RWE and Uniper - Germany's biggest importer of Russian gas - declined to comment.
Moscow calls its actions in Ukraine a "special military operation" to disarm and "denazify" its neighbour. Ukraine and Western allies call this a baseless pretext that has raised fears of wider conflict in Europe.
A BREACH OF RULES?
According to Gazprom, 58% of its sales of natural gas to Europe and other countries as of Jan. 27 were settled in euros. U.S. dollars accounted for about 39% of gross sales and sterling around 3%.
The European Commission has said it plans to cut EU dependency on Russian gas by two-thirds this year and end its reliance on Russian supplies of the fuel "well before 2030."
But unlike the United States and Britain, EU states have not agreed to sanction Russia's energy sector, given their dependency.
The Commission, the 27-country EU's executive, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
German Economy Minister Robert Habeck said on Wednesday that he would discuss with European partners a possible answer to Moscow's announcement about the gas payments.
"It is unclear how easy it would be for European clients to switch their payments to roubles given the scale of these purchases," said Leon Izbicki, associate at consultancy Energy Aspects.
"However, there are no sanctions in place that would prohibit payments of Russian gas in roubles," he said, adding that Russia's central bank could provide additional liquidity to foreign exchange markets that would enable European clients and banks to source the needed amount of roubles on the market.
However, there are questions over whether Russia's decision would breach contract rules which were agreed in euros.
"This would constitute a breach to payment rules included in the current contracts," said a senior Polish government source, adding that Poland has no intention of signing new contracts with Gazprom after their current long-term agreement expires at the end of this year.
Germany's Habeck also said Putin's demand was a breach of delivery contracts.
A spokesperson for Dutch gas supplier Eneco, which buys 15% of its gas from Gazprom's German subsidiary Wingas GmbH, said it had a long-term contract that was denominated in euros.
"I can't imagine we will agree to change the terms of that."
The Dutch Economic Affairs Ministry said it was too soon to comment.
Russia has drawn up a list of "unfriendly" countries corresponding to those that have imposed sanctions. Among other things, deals with companies and individuals from those countries have to be approved by a government commission.
The list of countries includes the United States, European Union member states, Britain, Japan, Canada, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland and Ukraine.
Some of these countries, including the United States and Norway, do not purchase Russian gas.
Putin wants 'unfriendly' countries to pay for Russian gas in roubles
Russia will seek payment in roubles for gas sold to "unfriendly" countries, President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday, and European gas prices soared on concerns the move would exacerbate the region's energy crunch.
The west **** themselves up pretty good.
Baghial
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Why the Chinese Internet Is Cheering Russia’s Invasion
As the world overwhelmingly condemns the assault on Ukraine, online opinion in China is mostly pro-Russia, pro-war and pro-Putin.
Feb. 27, 2022, 5:00 a.m. ET
If President Vladimir V. Putin is looking for international support and approval for his invasion of Ukraine, he can turn to the Chinese internet.
Its users have called him “Putin the Great,” “the best legacy of the former Soviet Union” and “the greatest strategist of this century.” They have chastised Russians who protested against the war, saying they had been brainwashed by the United States.
Mr. Putin’s speech on Thursday, which essentially portrayed the conflict as one waged against the West, won loud cheers on Chinese social media. Many people said they were moved to tears. “If I were Russian, Putin would be my faith, my light,” wrote @jinyujiyiliangxiaokou, a user of the Twitter-like platform Weibo.
As the world overwhelmingly condemns Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Chinese internet, for the most part, is pro-Russia, pro-war and pro-Putin.
Mr. Putin’s portrayal of Russia as a victim of the West’s political, ideological and military aggression has resonated deeply with many on social media. It dovetails with China’s narrative that the United States and its allies are afraid of China’s rise and the alternative world order it could create.
For its part, the Chinese government, Russia’s most powerful partner, has been more circumspect. Officials have declined to call Russia’s invasion an invasion, nor have they condemned it. But they have not endorsed it, either.
Under Xi Jinping, its top leader, China has taken a more confrontational stance on foreign policy in recent years. Its diplomats, the state media’s journalists and some of the government’s most influential advisers are far more hawkish than they used to be.
Together, they have helped to shape a generation of online warriors who view the world as a zero-sum game between China and the West, especially the United States.
A translation of Mr. Putin’s speech on Thursday by a nationalistic news site went viral, to say the least. The Weibo hashtag #putin10000wordsspeechfulltext got 1.1 billion views within 24 hours.
“This is an exemplary speech of war mobilization,” said one Weibo user, @apjam.
“Why was I moved to tears by the speech?” wrote @ASsicangyueliang. “Because this is also how they’ve been treating China.”
Mr. Putin with Xi Jinping, China’s top leader, in Moscow in 2019. They said this month that their countries’ friendship had “no limits.”Credit Sputnik/Reuters
Mostly young, nationalistic online users like these, known as “little pinks” in China, have taken their cue from the so-called “wolf warrior” diplomats who seem to relish verbal battle with journalists and their Western counterparts.
The day before Russia’s invasion, for instance, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said in a daily press briefing that the United States was the “culprit” behind the tensions over Ukraine.
“When the U.S. drove five waves of NATO expansion eastward all the way to Russia’s doorstep and deployed advanced offensive strategic weapons in breach of its assurances to Russia, did it ever think about the consequences of pushing a big country to the wall?” asked the spokeswoman, Hua Chunying.
The next day, as Ms. Hua was peppered with questions about whether China considered Russia’s “special military operation” an invasion, she turned the briefing into a critique of the United States. “You may go ask the U.S.: they started the fire and fanned the flames,” she said. “How are they going to put out the fire now?”
She bristled at the U.S. State Department’s comment that China should respect state sovereignty and territorial integrity, a longstanding tenet of Chinese foreign policy.
“The U.S. is in no position to tell China off,” she said. Then she mentioned the three journalists who were killed in NATO’s bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade in 1999, a tragic incident that prompted widespread anti-U.S. protests in China.
“NATO still owes the Chinese people a debt of blood,” she said.
That sentence became the top Weibo hashtag as Russia was bombing Ukraine. The hashtag, created by the state-run People’s Daily newspaper, has been viewed more than a billion times. In posts below it, users called the United States a “warmonger” and a “paper tiger.”
Other Weibo users were bemused. “If I only browsed Weibo,” wrote the user @____26156, “I would have believed that it was the United States that had invaded Ukraine.”
The strong pro-war sentiment online has shocked many Chinese. Some WeChat users on my timeline warned that they would block any Putin supporters. Many people shared articles about China’s long, troubled history with its neighbor, including Russian annexation of Chinese territory and a border conflict with the Soviet Union in the late 1960s.
One widely shared WeChat article was titled, “All those who cheer for war are idiots,” plus an expletive. “The grand narrative of nationalism and great-power chauvinism has squeezed out their last bit of humanity,” the author wrote.
It was eventually deleted by WeChat for violating regulations.
Hua Chunying, a spokeswoman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said the United States “started the fire and fanned the flames” that led to the war in Ukraine. Credit. Carlos Garcia Rawlins/Reuters
The pro-Russia sentiment is in line with the two countries’ growing official solidarity, culminating in a joint statement on Feb. 4, when Mr. Putin met with Mr. Xi in Beijing at the Winter Olympics.
The countries’ friendship has “no limits,” they declared.
Given that the leaders met just weeks before the invasion, it would be understandable to conclude that China should have had better knowledge of the Kremlin’s plans. But growing evidence suggests that the echo chamber of China’s foreign policy establishment might have misled not only the country’s internet users, but its own officials.
My colleague Edward Wong reported that over a period of three months, senior U.S. officials held meetings with their Chinese counterparts and shared intelligence that detailed Russia’s troop buildup around Ukraine. The Americans asked the Chinese officials to intervene with the Russians and tell them not to invade.
The Chinese brushed the Americans off, saying that they did not think an invasion was in the works. U.S. intelligence showed that on one occasion, Beijing shared the Americans’ information with Moscow.
Recent speeches by some of China’s most influential advisers to the government on international relations suggest that the miscalculation may have been based on deep distrust of the United States. They saw it as a declining power that wanted to push for war with false intelligence because it would benefit the United States, financially and strategically.
Jin Canrong, a professor at Renmin University in Beijing, told the state broadcaster China Central Television, or CCTV, on Feb. 20 that the U.S. government had been talking about imminent war because an unstable Europe would help Washington, as well the country’s financial and energy industries. After the war started, he admitted to his 2.4 million Weibo followers that he was surprised.
Just before the invasion, Shen Yi, a professor at Fudan University in Shanghai, ridiculed the Biden administration’s predictions of war in a 52-minute video program. “Why did ‘Sleepy Joe’ use such poor-quality intelligence on Ukraine and Russia?” he asked, using Donald Trump’s favorite nickname for President Biden.
Earlier in the week, Mr. Shen had held a conference call about the Ukraine crisis with a brokerage’s clients, titled, “A war that would not be fought.”
When the fighting began, he, too, acknowledged to his Weibo followers, who number 1.6 million, that he had been wrong.
Nationalistic emotions on social media were also sparked by the Chinese Embassy in Ukraine. Unlike most embassies in Kyiv, it didn’t urge its citizens to evacuate. Hours into the war, it advised Chinese people to post the country’s red flag conspicuously on their vehicles when traveling, indicating that it would provide protection.
The state-owned People’s Daily, CCTV and many top government agencies posted about that on Weibo. Many people used the hashtag #theChineseredwillprotectyou, referring to the flag.
The idea echoed a movie, the 2017 Chinese blockbuster “Wolf Warrior 2,” which ends with the hero taking fellow passengers safely through a war zone in Africa as he holds a Chinese flag high. “It’s Chinese,” an armed fighter says. “Hold your fire.”
Two days later, the embassy reversed course, urging Chinese citizens not to display anything that would disclose their identity. Chinese people living in Ukraine advised fellow citizens not to make comments on social media that could jeopardize their security.
As the war drags on, and especially if Beijing calibrates its position in the face of an international backlash, the online pro-Russia sentiment in China could ebb. In the meantime, other internet users are getting impatient with the nationalists.
“Putin should enlist the Chinese little pinks and send them to the frontline,” wrote the Weibo user @xinshuiqingliu. “They’re his die-hard fans and extremely brave fighters.”
Why the Chinese Internet Is Cheering Russia’s Invasion (Published 2022)
As the world overwhelmingly condemns the assault on Ukraine, online opinion in China is mostly pro-Russia, pro-war and pro-Putin.www.nytimes.com
Why the Chinese Internet Is Cheering Russia’s Invasion!!!!
simple answer,,
harami key bachay
Speaking from personal observation, Indian internet is also unequivocally pro-Russian.
Most posters feel Zelensky is a bumbling idiot made into a sacrificial goat by the USA . His former profession as a clown is not helping his image either. A purported video of him shamelessly ogling at the chest of well endowed beauties in some TV Show of his is being relentlessly forwarded here.. mainly in whatsApp and telegram
Most posters feel Zelensky is a bumbling idiot made into a sacrificial goat by the USA . His former profession as a clown is not helping his image either. A purported video of him shamelessly ogling at the chest of well endowed beauties in some TV Show of his is being relentlessly forwarded here.. mainly in whatsApp and telegram
Menthol
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Speaking from personal observation, Indian internet is also unequivocally pro-Russian.
Most posters feel Zelensky is a bumbling idiot made into a sacrificial goat by the USA . His former profession as a clown is not helping his image either. A purported video of him shamelessly ogling at the chest of well endowed beauties in some TV Show of his is being relentlessly forwarded here.. mainly in whatsApp and telegram
People have a conscience and can tell the truth about this event.
The war between Russia vs Ukraine is actually the war of opinion between the West vs the Rest.
