Yes. I think they will. But not because Russia is running out of shells and rockets. Nope. I think China wants a chance to field test some of its weaponry and drones against a foe that shoots back in order to see how they perform in a combat environment. Firing artillery or surface-to-air missiles on a closed range does not compare with lighting them up on a bona fide battlefield.
The warnings to China to not help Russia is not new. One year ago the Biden team put out the word that:
China will face consequences if it helps Russia evade sanctions in its invasion of Ukraine, the US says.
Unnamed US officials told multiple news outlets that China had signalled willingness to provide military assistance to Russia.
The Chinese foreign ministry accused the US of spreading disinformation. Russia denied asking Beijing for military help.
The exchanges came before top US and Chinese officials met in Rome.
Media outlets, citing Washington officials, say that Russia has in recent days asked China specifically for military equipment, including drones.
Well, the Chinese ignored those unnamed officials and stepped up its cooperation and coordination with Russia.
Could this be the real reason behind Joe Biden’s order to shoot down an errant Chinese balloon (spy or weather) last month? Biden’s revenge for Beijing’s decision to ignore the West’s sanctions on Russia? Those damn Chinese. They do not know the meaning of kowtow (for the sarcastically impaired, this is a joke).
As Yogi Berra said, “it’s deja vu all over again.” A week shy of the anniversary of the first warnings to China over helping Russia, the Biden team exited their clown car and reiterated their past empty threats:
The United States warned China of serious consequences were it to provide arms to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as Kyiv’s top general visited the frontline town of Bakhmut where Ukrainian defenders were holding out against constant attacks.
Washington and its NATO allies are scrambling to dissuade China from providing military aid for Moscow’s war, making public comments on their belief that Beijing is considering providing lethal equipment possibly including drones.
Western fears of China helping to arm Russia come as Moscow’s forces struggle to make gains around key objectives in eastern Ukraine, and as Kyiv prepares a counter-offensive with advanced Western weapons including battle tanks.
Xi Jinping and his advisors must be wondering if Biden, Sullivan and Blinken are partaking of Hunter’s illegal stash of hallucinogens. The Chinese have watched the United States and Europe flood Ukraine with money, artillery, artillery shells, anti-tank missiles, Bradley fighting vehicles and tanks and, in typical Chinese restraint, have not chided the NATO countries, at least in public, for this lethal support. Yet the United States, with the European poodles trotting obediently behind, has the Fàngsì (that is Chutzpah in Chinese) to warn Beijing to not do what it is doing. There has to be some serious head scratching going on among Xi’s advisors. What the hell is America trying to do?
Pissing off China seems to be Biden’s play. Along with ordering China to not send military help to Russia, the Biden team leaked intel blaming China for Covid and backed Congressional legislation to ban Tik Tok. I think this has eliminated any doubt among Chinese leaders that the United States is intent on humiliating China rather than find a constructive diplomatic solution.
Back to Russia for a moment. Russia does not need Chinese weapons or aircraft, including drones. However, I think Vladimir Putin is quite willing to give the Chinese military a chance to test their weapons on the battlefield. Chinese military planners are taking U.S. threats about going to war with China and want to be sure their weapons function as intended.
I think the Chinese response to Secretary of State Blinken went something like this, 我們不是你的婊子 (Wǒmen bùshì nǐ de biǎo zi). Look it up.