China is showing more clearly than ever that it's not going to abandon Russia and won't accept a total Russian defeat in Ukraine. Chinese officials are also being very clear in echoing Mr Putin, blaming the war on American-led efforts to expand NATO. At the same time, China is stepping up its efforts to present itself as kind of a neutral party.
The visit of Xi Jinping, China’s president, to Moscow may seem like the solidifying of a simple, anti-Western alliance. But China is walking a delicate line to look after its own interests. A growing minority of young people simply do not want to drive; that will have consequences far beyond roadways. And research on colonising the Moon goes underground.
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