China’s military and civilian leaders have watched with dismay over the past 15 months as Moscow’s anticipated blitzkrieg in Ukraine turned into a drawn-out slog marked by a series of Russian defeats.
China last fought a war in 1979—a campaign against Vietnam that ended in a humbling draw—and used to admire Russia for its ability to translate violence into political gains.
“Russia’s military image and credibility have crumbled,” said Zhou Bo, a recently retired senior colonel in the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who serves as a senior fellow at Tsinghua University in Beijing.
“This has become a war they did not expect.”
Persons:
—, ”, Zhou Bo
Organizations:
People’s Liberation Army, PLA, Tsinghua University
Locations:
Ukraine, China, Vietnam, Russia, Beijing