Writing on his personal WeChat blog on March 12, the former Editor of Global Times Hu Xijin
said he is "calling on Beijing to stick to what he says is the 稳 (stable? middle?) road. Hu wrote,
it is in Chinese interests that "Russia cannot fail and the Putin regime cannot fail". Hu Xijin
cautioned Beijing: "We must be careful not to 'Russify' our policy toward the U.S. and the West,
and (must) resolutely prevent the U.S. and the West from equating the definition of China with
the definition of Russia." He said a desirable scenario "In the context of their fierce
confrontation with Russia, it will become more acceptable to them to seek common ground
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with China while preserving differences". He added that Beijing "needs to do its best to ease
and develop relations with the U.S. and the West, and promote the gradual strategic shaping of
a model of relations between China, the U.S., and the West and China". A "stable, independent
Russia that does not buy into the U.S./West and dares to confront them openly has become
China's biggest strategic barrier. The comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation
between Russia and China in the new era needs to be further consolidated, and China cannot
afford to waver in this."
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