A Chinese Perspective on the Russia-Ukraine War: A Conversation with Dr. Zhao Hai

In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, Dr. Zhao Hai joins us to discuss China’s views on the Russia-Ukraine war and its broader implications for China. Dr. Zhao provides an assessment of how he thinks China perceives the evolving situation on the ground, emphasizing China’s concerns about the risk of further escalation between Russia and the West, potentially involving the use of nuclear weapons. He argues that the Ukraine crisis has heightened U.S.-Russia competition and speaks to how China views the conflict as a sign of the world order shifting towards one of multi-polarity. He also shared his assessment of the United States engaging in enhanced proxy warfare in Ukraine that could be used in the Indo-Pacific in the future.
Dr. Zhao is the director of the International Politics Program at the National Institute for Global Strategy and research fellow at the Institute of World Economics and Politics at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS). Before joining CASS, he was a research fellow at the National Strategy Institute at Tsinghua University. His research interests are Sino-US strategic relations, geopolitics in East Asia, and international security cooperation. Dr. Zhao holds a PhD in international history from the University of Chicago and a Master’s degree in Asia-Pacific Studies from Peking University. The views he shared on the podcast were his personal views.

[@sarge994]

After the NATO comments around the 9 minute mark I realized this isn't an interview worth my time.

[@JameBlack]

what?

[@KushWings]

Typical American: keep your head in the sand like an ostrich 😂

[@user-sn3wg1uc3n]

Thank you. That seems helpful.

[@user-nc1lb6vl9y]

Both sides are escalating as much as they can. The idea that Russia will retaliate by escalating more does not make sense. The idea that the people are most important only helps Russian forces in that Russian does not care about people. War kills people and Russia started this war. Russia has no security threats. What Ukraine does with NATO has nothing to do with Russia's security. The talk about unipolar vs multipolar world in the US China context misses the fact that China has threatened Taiwan and claims the South China Sea as its own. The US is interested in a stable world order. There will be no negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. Russia invaded Ukraine and needs to get out. How would the United Nations stop Russia from invading its neighbors? Who is in the Global South and how much of the world's population does it contain? I recently heard it contains 15% of the world's population and includes Australia and New Zealand. Not sure we can talk about the Global South in a uniform sense. The global economy will not collapse because of sanctions against China. Only the nations that support sanctions will deal with any downsides. The war as it exists now will not last 5 to 10 years. Russia is running down on funds to finance its war. It will run out in around two years. The only conflict Taiwan is considering is an invasion from China. The US supporting the defense of Taiwan is not supporting a war with China.

[@michaelcollett7214]

I appreciate the bold stating of plain facts, not enough people do this. We are all overwhelmed with communist propaganda and its good to point out that the talking points of the authoritarian states are just Orwellian double-speak, regardless of how often repeated.

[@tomonabudget]

No mention of Taiwan?

[@monkeylee4818]

not really related issues

[@guitarninjarick8179]

This guy isnt gonna cast China in a bad light. They'd probably throw him in prison

[@2000fsm]

A rather superficial view to the issue indeed.

[@marisabenson1222]

Support Ukraine they are fighting for their independence. Russia will not be successful and its economy will crash. The EU and NATO needs to step up.

[@ibrahimtouman2279]

I suggest you go volunteer there instead of commenting on KZbin

[@user-sn3wg1uc3n]

@@ibrahimtouman2279 We already did an come back for a break. You need to go to Ukraine and take a look as well.

[@VoltageLP]

China Nubmer One!

[@dsamh]

At what?

[@michaelcollett7214]

The interviewer worked so hard to get even a grain of truth about anything from the communist. Truly like blood squeezed from a stone.

[@stacymcmahon453]

Well he works for the Chinese government. That’s going to affect what he says. It’s very interesting how complimentary he is toward Ukraine, while really not praising Russia in any way. Western analysts tend to think about what Russia and China could do if they really worked together, but Russia and China are not friends and as Zhao highlights here, their interests are not aligned when it comes to Putin’s adventure in Ukraine.

[@wegder]

I try and buy as little as possible from China, why buy from your enemy.

[@emmeadowmitbbs3537]

You think you are part of the US? Do the senators in DC care about that?

[@ibrahimtouman2279]

the non-Chinese stuff you still buy probably contain Chinese components inside them 😁

[@DavidWaldren-cj4ry]

😊l. , o

[@Hypocrites-507]

If NATO come to join in South China Sea n Taiwan affairs then China should supply n support Russia against Ukraine

[@dsamh]

Aren't they already? lol

[@noobster4779]

1) china is already supplying and supporting Russia. Without China Russias exonomy would pretty much collapse at this point, they are compleatly dependent on it 2) Nato is not in Asia, it has a literally treaty defined limit of applying. Also maybe China should stop bullying its neighbours and stealing land, then they might not be hated by every neighbour that isnt bloody north korea

[@Twizted86]

@@dsamh No. AUKUS is down here. NATO has no business being down here. Hi from Australia where we have the Indian Ocean to our West, Southern Ocean to our South, Pacific Ocean to our East and South China Sea North of us.. Nowhere to be seen is the North Atlantic Ocean..

[@danglingondivineladders3994]

NATO can only be in the Atlantic by definition. The Pacific Western countries aren't in NATO. Japan, RoK, Australia NZ. We have other treaties with them and they have treaties with each other.