*[image: https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/inline-images/image%281268%29.jpg?itok=OsSq1mcL]*
During a phone call on Feb. 24 <www.theepochtimes.com/china/chinas-xi-spoke-with-russias-putin-on-3rd-anniversary-of-ukraine-war-5815269> , *Chinese leader Xi Jinping reaffirmed the “no limit” partnership he declared three years ago with Russian President Vladimir Putin.*
In a show of unity, Xi told Putin that their nations are “good neighbors” and “true friends who have been through thick and thin together,” according to Beijing’s readout.
Analysts said the warm sentiments expressed as the war in Ukraine marks its third year reflect the Chinese regime’s serious concerns.
“*Xi Jinping’s greatest fear is that Putin might lean towards Trump*” or even facilitate U.S. efforts to contain his regime, Cai Shenkun, an independent Chinese current affairs commentator, told The Epoch Times.
According to Cai,* the alliance between the two autocracies is not as solid as it appears*. He said that the war in Ukraine has acted as a catalyst, forging a closer bond between Beijing and Moscow and their economies. Once a cease-fire is reached, however, some longstanding friction points in their partnership, such as territorial disputes <www.theepochtimes.com/opinion/former-chinese-regime-leader-jiang-zemin-gifted-a-huge-amount-of-chinese-land-to-russia-and-other-countries-3007595> along their shared border, may resurface.
*Additionally, Beijing’s support of Moscow’s war effort has strained its ties with Washington and Brussels, he said.*
U.S. officials <www.theepochtimes.com/china/blinken-meets-ccp-leader-xi-questions-chinas-support-for-russias-war-5638192> have repeatedly criticized China for helping Russia to rebuild its defense-industrial complex through the export of goods that can be used for both civilian and military purposes, thus providing Moscow an economic lifeline amid Western sanctions.
Meanwhile, European leaders, including the NATO secretary-general, are reconsidering their reliance on authoritarian regimes, especially in light of the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II.
“In the past, we made the mistake of becoming dependent on Russian oil and gas. We must not repeat that mistake with China: Depending on its money, its raw materials, and its technologies,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said <www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/opinions_224838.htm> at an event in April 2024. “Dependencies make us vulnerable.”
Cai said that *as global distrust toward communist China rises, the regime could find itself sidelined once the conflict in Ukraine ends and Putin no longer needs Xi’s support.*
“Neither Ukraine nor Russia will be grateful to China [for the war]. Europe certainly won’t either,” Cai said. “Xi was left with little choice but to place his bets on Putin.”
*A Shift in US Focus Toward China*
Chen Shih-min, an expert on Western Europe security and the Chinese military at the National Taiwan University in Taipei, echoed those viewpoints. Beijing and Moscow are bonded by common interests, he said, which means they’ll diverge once these interests conflict.
Chen said that once the Ukraine war is settled, the Trump administration’s intention may be to shift its focus to driving Beijing and Moscow apart and confronting the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
“*Trump will come down hard on the CCP*,” Chen told The Epoch Times.
*U.S. defense leaders have indicated a strategic pivot toward countering threats from communist China.*
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has described <www.theepochtimes.com/world/hegseth-says-ukraine-regaining-pre-war-borders-is-unrealistic-5808642> communist China as a peer competitor with the “capability and intent to threaten our homeland and core national interests in the Indo-Pacific.”
“The U.S. is prioritizing deterring war with China in the Pacific, recognizing the reality of scarcity, and making the resourcing tradeoffs to ensure deterrence does not fail,” Hegseth said <www.defense.gov/News/Speeches/Speech/Article/4064113/opening-remarks-by-secretary-of-defense-pete-hegseth-at-ukraine-defense-contact/> in his opening remarks at the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Brussels on Feb. 12.
This shift in focus extends beyond the U.S. military.
“To bring manufacturing back to the United States and to address the trade deficit, Trump has to target the root of these problems: the CCP,” Chen said.
During a phone call on Feb. 24 <www.theepochtimes.com/china/chinas-xi-spoke-with-russias-putin-on-3rd-anniversary-of-ukraine-war-5815269> , *Chinese leader Xi Jinping reaffirmed the “no limit” partnership he declared three years ago with Russian President Vladimir Putin.*
In a show of unity, Xi told Putin that their nations are “good neighbors” and “true friends who have been through thick and thin together,” according to Beijing’s readout.
Analysts said the warm sentiments expressed as the war in Ukraine marks its third year reflect the Chinese regime’s serious concerns.
“*Xi Jinping’s greatest fear is that Putin might lean towards Trump*” or even facilitate U.S. efforts to contain his regime, Cai Shenkun, an independent Chinese current affairs commentator, told The Epoch Times.
According to Cai,* the alliance between the two autocracies is not as solid as it appears*. He said that the war in Ukraine has acted as a catalyst, forging a closer bond between Beijing and Moscow and their economies. Once a cease-fire is reached, however, some longstanding friction points in their partnership, such as territorial disputes <www.theepochtimes.com/opinion/former-chinese-regime-leader-jiang-zemin-gifted-a-huge-amount-of-chinese-land-to-russia-and-other-countries-3007595> along their shared border, may resurface.
*Additionally, Beijing’s support of Moscow’s war effort has strained its ties with Washington and Brussels, he said.*
U.S. officials <www.theepochtimes.com/china/blinken-meets-ccp-leader-xi-questions-chinas-support-for-russias-war-5638192> have repeatedly criticized China for helping Russia to rebuild its defense-industrial complex through the export of goods that can be used for both civilian and military purposes, thus providing Moscow an economic lifeline amid Western sanctions.
Meanwhile, European leaders, including the NATO secretary-general, are reconsidering their reliance on authoritarian regimes, especially in light of the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II.
“In the past, we made the mistake of becoming dependent on Russian oil and gas. We must not repeat that mistake with China: Depending on its money, its raw materials, and its technologies,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said <www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/opinions_224838.htm> at an event in April 2024. “Dependencies make us vulnerable.”
Cai said that *as global distrust toward communist China rises, the regime could find itself sidelined once the conflict in Ukraine ends and Putin no longer needs Xi’s support.*
“Neither Ukraine nor Russia will be grateful to China [for the war]. Europe certainly won’t either,” Cai said. “Xi was left with little choice but to place his bets on Putin.”
*A Shift in US Focus Toward China*
Chen Shih-min, an expert on Western Europe security and the Chinese military at the National Taiwan University in Taipei, echoed those viewpoints. Beijing and Moscow are bonded by common interests, he said, which means they’ll diverge once these interests conflict.
Chen said that once the Ukraine war is settled, the Trump administration’s intention may be to shift its focus to driving Beijing and Moscow apart and confronting the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
“*Trump will come down hard on the CCP*,” Chen told The Epoch Times.
*U.S. defense leaders have indicated a strategic pivot toward countering threats from communist China.*
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has described <www.theepochtimes.com/world/hegseth-says-ukraine-regaining-pre-war-borders-is-unrealistic-5808642> communist China as a peer competitor with the “capability and intent to threaten our homeland and core national interests in the Indo-Pacific.”
“The U.S. is prioritizing deterring war with China in the Pacific, recognizing the reality of scarcity, and making the resourcing tradeoffs to ensure deterrence does not fail,” Hegseth said <www.defense.gov/News/Speeches/Speech/Article/4064113/opening-remarks-by-secretary-of-defense-pete-hegseth-at-ukraine-defense-contact/> in his opening remarks at the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Brussels on Feb. 12.
This shift in focus extends beyond the U.S. military.
“To bring manufacturing back to the United States and to address the trade deficit, Trump has to target the root of these problems: the CCP,” Chen said.
*GO HERE FOR MORE **https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/what-ccp-fears-if-us-can-negotiate-end-russia-ukraine-war-analysts <www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/what-ccp-fears-if-us-can-negotiate-end-russia-ukraine-war-analysts> *
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