Quote:
Originally Posted by kato13
China cannot feed nor fuel itself. Russia can. China is dependent on a great deal of naval traffic that runs past India, SE Asia and Indonesia (none of which are really friendly with them), where it projects little power compared to the US and its allies.
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That's true, and probably the biggest consideration holding the PRC back ATM. However, the PRC can count on Russia for at least some of that fuel (and maybe food too). That's why China won't condemn Russia's war in Ukraine. It's essentially an "if you've got my back, I'll have yours" transaction. They're partners in crime.
Given how well Russia's been able to dodge or circumvent sanctions, I reckon China will have similar, if not greater, success, if it comes to that. More importantly, the USA is far more dependent on Chinese goods and investment than it ever was on Russian goods. Economic sanctions v. China would hurt the US economy much worse than sanctions on Russia ever could. Would the US and its allies have the stomach for a full-scale trade war with the PRC? Given the drag that international supply chain issues were on the US economy during and shortly after the height of the Covid epidemic, I'm not so sure.
Currently, the PLN can't compete with the US and its allies in the Indian Ocean. However, the Chinese navy continues to grow in both size and capability. I'm somewhat concerned that the USA is not doing enough to maintain numerical and technological superiority.
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