Prominent Chinese scholar - China needs to drop Putin now

Prominent Chinese scholar - China needs to drop Putin now

On March 5, a policy proposal written by a prominent Chinese scholar was circulated among the country's leaders in Beijing. Already, 10 days had passed since Russia invaded Ukraine, but Russian President Vladimir Putin's blitzkrieg had not borne fruit.    Instead, it was becoming clear that even if Russia managed to seize Ukraine and set up a puppet government, Western sanctions and a rebellion within Ukraine would make it difficult for Putin to maintain control over the land. The tougher-than-expected global economic sanctions all but ensured Russia's economy would tank within a few years.    "China cannot be tied to Putin and needs to be cut off as soon as possible," scholar Hu Wei wrote. The controversial article has been removed from the Chinese internet and the Chinese government has not "cut off" Putin -- yet.   But there may be signs of change. Hu suggested in the article that time was running out for a decision and that the window for Beijing to act was one to two weeks. Is it only coincidence that nine days after the article was circulated, top Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi sat across from U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan in Rome? On Friday, Chinese President Xi Jinping will speak with U.S. President Joe Biden by phone. The article may have been more seriously considered than we think.