China
Chinese Media Showcases President Xi’s Trip to Russia
This week, Chinese President Xi is in Russia and is meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to Xinhua, President Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin have met 40 times, with this being Xi’s 9th visit to Russia. CCP-run media is using this visit to claim that Chinese-Russian ties are benevolent, that the West is incorrect and manipulative to portray such ties otherwise, and that Chinese diplomacy is needed and prudent in in Ukraine.
CCP Claims that China-Russia Ties are Benevolent
President Xi Jinping’s visit to Russia is “a trip of friendship, cooperation and peace” that is “expected to further promote China-Russia cooperation and contribute to global peace and development,” according to Global Times. China-Russia relations are “good neighborly and friendly,” according to China Daily.
According to Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin, as cited by Xinhua, China and Russia’s relationship is based on “non-alignment, non-confrontation and non-targeting of any third party,” and that together they will “practice true multilateralism, promote a multi-polar world and greater democracy in international relations, improve global governance, and contribute to world development and progress.” An article in Xinhua quoted a Russian expert as stating that China-Russia relations “are efficient, responsible, and future oriented,” and “have played a stabilizing role in international affairs.”
The CCP media also seeks to counter any Western concerns of Chinese-Russian belligerence. Wang, according to China Daily, claimed that recent Western allegations that China is providing Russia with military support is false, as the cooperation between the two countries “is completely above board and serves the purpose of delivering benefits to both peoples and promoting global growth.” Recent joint naval drills between China, Russia and Iran off the Gulf of Oman are similarly “bringing in positive energy to regional peace and stability,” and are “not aimed at any third party,” according to Global Times. The West’s concerns with President Xi’s visit to Russia amounts to “hullabaloo,” according to China Daily.
CCP Asserts that the West Is Maliciously Undermining China-Russia Ties
CCP media asserts that the West seeks to undermine China-Russia ties out of malice. According to Global Times, “the US and some Western countries have beefed up efforts to smear and demonize China-Russia relations and by spreading lies about China’s ‘support’ for Russia in the conflict with Ukraine, the US and its allies want to trap Russia and China.” According to China Daily, “those trying to distort the visit and reading too much into [the] Sino-Russian entente are only exposing their true colors as conspiracy theorists and hegemonists.”
According to that same article, the United States is “the main instigator and beneficiary of the Russia-Ukraine conflict,” and “uses the deaths and destruction in Ukraine to launch a smear campaign against China and coerce its allies into supporting it in its efforts to weaken Russia.”
Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin, according to another China Daily article, argued that in response to improved China-Russia relations, “certain countries” [presumably including the United States] have been “holding on to a Cold War mentality, ganging up with other countries, forming small cliques and stirring up bloc confrontations, and engaging in hegemonic, domineering and bullying practices.”
CCP Uses Xi’s Visit to Russia to Showcase Diplomacy in Ukraine
CCP media portrays Xi’s visit to Russia as a means to broker Russia-Ukraine peace. According to China Daily, “[t]he visit can help Ukraine and Russia keep alive the hope of dialogue and keep the door open to a political settlement, because China refuses to take sides in the conflict, and remains committed to helping restore peace, while calling on the international community to create enabling conditions for peace talks.” According to Wang, “Xi’s visit to Russia is also about peace,” as cited by Global Times. “On the Ukraine issue, China always stands on the side of peace and dialogue and stands on the right side of history,” states Wang as quoted in that article.
According to Global Times, China has exerted “continuous efforts to play a constructive role and ease the Ukraine crisis…” and “is one of the few major powers that can build a bridge of communications between Russia and Ukraine.” According to Wang, as cited by China Daily, “China will uphold an objective and fair position and play a constructive role in promoting peace talks.”
China is using its state-run media to craft a narrative stating that China-Russia relations are benevolent, that the US is trying to falsely malign such relations, and that Chinese diplomacy in Ukraine is the best way forward in resolving the war in Ukraine. By capitalizing on Xi’s trip to Russia, China hopes to score yet another diplomatic win in its continued attempts to charm the world.
China
Pentagon Report Reveals China’s Rapid Nuclear Expansion, Doubling Previous U.S. Estimates
China’s nuclear arsenal has surged to over 500 warheads—more than double the previous U.S. estimate—according to a newly released Pentagon intelligence report. This “rapid expansion” is raising alarm among U.S. officials as Beijing aggressively accelerates its military capabilities and steps up hostilities toward allied states in the Pacific.
The Daily Caller News Foundation reports that in 2020, the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) assessed that China had amassed roughly 200 nuclear warheads and projected that the count could reach 400 by 2030. But the latest findings show China has already far exceeded that estimate, and the Pentagon now believes China could have over 1,000 operational warheads by 2030.
According to the report, China’s current nuclear build-up represents the most rapid and ambitious modernization effort in its history, indicating the nation’s long-term strategy for sustained competition with the U.S. and signaling an operational readiness for intensified strategic concepts. China’s arsenal, composed of various nuclear warheads, can be launched from a range of platforms, including submarines, ground-mobile systems, and aircraft. The DIA report also notes that China is building additional facilities for the production of fissile materials to further scale up its nuclear arsenal.
The report suggests that China remains committed to a “no first use” nuclear policy—meaning it would only launch a nuclear strike in retaliation. However, China’s “launch-on-warning” policy enables it to strike back preemptively if it detects an incoming attack.
“China is fielding new nuclear capabilities at a faster pace than at any time in its history,” the DIA report reads, emphasizing the military’s objective to achieve parity with the U.S. nuclear arsenal. Despite Beijing’s statements about maintaining a defensive posture, the Pentagon warns that China’s rapid nuclear advancements could lead to an increased risk of miscalculation.
The Pentagon report highlights China’s growing capability and confidence, suggesting that Beijing’s bolstered nuclear deterrence over the next decade could embolden its leaders. This, in turn, increases the risk of miscalculations and escalations as the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) builds up the capability to counter the U.S. across various domains.
A spokesperson from the Chinese Embassy in the U.S. downplayed concerns, pointing to America’s extensive nuclear arsenal as a primary security risk. “China is committed to a defensive nuclear strategy and a policy of ‘no first use’ of nuclear weapons and keeps our nuclear capabilities at the minimum level required by national security,” the spokesperson told the DCNF.
The report also reflects a lack of transparency in U.S.-China relations, with military talks largely suspended since 2022 and only resuming recently. This limited communication between the nations further fuels apprehension within the international community.
China’s nuclear expansion aligns with its broader military ambitions under President Xi Jinping, who has ordered the PLA to be prepared for a possible invasion of Taiwan by 2027. Although the U.S. maintains a “strategic ambiguity” policy toward Taiwan—meaning it does not disclose how it would respond to a Chinese invasion—the potential for conflict has heightened as China’s military power grows.
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