Putin beordrar styrkor att gå in i Ukraina - INVASION NU (2022-02-24)

Briefly for the night in Donetsk direction. Artillery battles near Vesely. The enemy is trying hard they push Pervomaiskoye and work on the Experienced. There are no changes on the DONBAS map, but the situation is tense in Pervomaysk.

"China buys Russian raw materials at a discount of US$10-12 per barrel compared to similar grades from other suppliers, meaning the discount is equivalent to about 20-30% of the cost."Both Russia and China are consciously and systematically diversifying their partnerships, while the complementarity of the two economies is obvious. Russia can relatively painlessly compensate for the loss of Western goods in China. In turn, Russia can obtain a reliable supplier of relatively cheap strategic resources; important for both, as short overland logistics minimizes the risks of transportation and supplies in the event of a potential trade or military conflict with the United States. That fear is already being raised by Washington over claims China could supply Russia with weapons in its conflict with Ukraine.

Meanwhile, achieving a mutual US$300-400 billion in trade between China and Russia appears possible, firstly, as the infrastructure of the Russian Far East develops; secondly, as a result of increased supplies of natural gas to China. Without Russian gas, China cannot solve its ambitious transition to green energy resources, which should be completed by 2050. Russia delivers ten times less gas to China via pipeline than it supplied to Europe in 2021, meaning the growth potential is enormous, and China in turn can achieve its green energy targets.

These developments will require serious political decisions and significant investments. The result will be mutually beneficial cooperation with China, one of the largest economies in the world, and genuine development of the Russian Far East, turning the region from a subsidized periphery into a new growth pole for the whole country – as well as a trade resource, especially in agriculture and energy transit to feed China – and Southeast Asia’s additional rapid growth and needs.

https://www.russia-briefing.com/news/china-russia-trade-breakdown-and-future-development-trends.html/

What’s Really Going on Between Russia and China
- Behind the Scenes, They Are Deepening Their Defense Partnership

https://www.foreignaffairs.com/united-states/whats-really-going-between-russia-and-china

The People’s Republic of China (PRC or China) and the Russian Federation (Russia) maintain a strategic and multifaceted relationship with extensive military, diplomatic, and economic connections...

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The two countries’ apparent mutual affinity has led some U.S. policymakers and Members of Congress to express concern that Beijing and Moscow constitute a de facto alliance, and to seek ways to counter their global influence. The PRC and Russia’s bilateral relationship falls short of a mutual defense pact, more closely resembling a non-binding alignment based on shared opposition to what they describe as the U.S.-led international order

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Building on the foundation of the 1991 Sino-Soviet Border Agreement, the 2001 Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation, among other things, noted Beijing’s and Moscow’s satisfaction on border issues and set broad areas of cooperation ranging from economics and trade to counterterrorism. The renewal of the treaty in 2021 reflects the overall positive trajectory of relations

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In 2019, PRC and Russian leaders announced their intention to develop a “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership of Coordination for a New Era,” professing a “high degree of political trust” and “all-around cooperation.” Military cooperation between the PRC and Russia is significant, encompassing exchanges and joint exercises, as well as intelligence sharing and joint development of weapons systems.

In November 2021, the two sides signed a Road Map for Military Co-operation for 2021-2025 to guide collaboration in this sphere. The PRC and Russia are founding members of the Eurasia-based Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), an intergovernmental group mainly focused on security affairs. The PRC and Russia also enjoy strong commercial and financial ties and are partners in their attempts to “dedollarize” the global economy, which they see as beholden to the United States.

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Where frictions may arise, the PRC and Russia have tried to harmonize the interests of overlapping ventures, such as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU).

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The PRC and Russia view each other as partners in their efforts to challenge the U.S.-led global order. During a phone call with Putin on December 30, 2022, Xi expressed that “in a changing and turbulent international environment, it is important that China and Russia remain true to the original aspiration of cooperation, maintain strategic focus, enhance strategic coordination,” and “continue to be each other’s development opportunity and global partner.”

https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF12100