Thread by @GeringTuvia

"In times of war and chaos, the rich man's gold ain't enough, as bossing the laborers around becomes more difficult. In WWII, there was no shortage of wealthy Jews willing to trade gold bars and paintings for a meal and a bed" - freelance columnist Chen Feng for Guancha.
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Chen is a columnist for Guancha and in this article, he analyzes the war in Ukraine and its implications for Sino-US and Sino-Russian relations. Guancha Syndicate is funded by billionaire Eric Li and has close ties to party-state media and Fudan University.
Excerpts:
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"China and Russia are the 'laborers,' while the US and Europe are the 'rich guy.' In times of peace and prosperity, the laborers are at the rich people's beck and call obediently nodding and submitting to their whims.
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"However, in times of war and turmoil, the rich man's gold isn't always enough, as bossing the laborers around becomes more difficult. During WWII, there was no shortage of wealthy Jews willing to trade gold bars and paintings for a meal and a bed.
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"Will Russia have been unable to do anything with such a massive influx of RMB? Not in the least! Because of European and American sanctions, Russia's only option for general imports is China. Can't buy a Mercedes-Benz? Get Geely instead;
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"can't drink Coca-Cola? Buy Wahaha; unable to get Louis Vuitton, Chanel, or Hermes bags? Then find a different high-end brand; would life become so unbearable if you can't buy Starbucks, McDonald's, or Zara? Not in the least.
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"Although the (new) pipeline to China will take some time to construct, in the interim, a train can be used. Does a living person hold his pee till he chokes himself to death (i.e., where there's a will, there's a way)?
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"Russia will not perish; the main reason is China...There is no reason and no way to prohibit China from buying with renminbi or rubles. Although the Chinese market is large, it does not have the capacity to eat Russia's energy and grain exports.
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"But this does not prevent China from replacing imports from other countries with Russian imports. For example, Russian wheat can replace American wheat, Russian natural gas can replace Australian LNG, and Russian coal can replace Australian and Indonesian coal...
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"China will not openly challenge Western bans, but it is not afraid. Where the US dollar and US technology are not involved, Sino-Russian economic exchanges will continue as normal. The fall of Russia is not good for China.
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"Russia's energy, potash fertilizer, grain and future beef are also what China needs, and its consumer goods and industrial technologies are what Russia needs. Without European and American oppression, such rapid development of complementary trade wouldn't have been possible
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"China is neutral in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and has been pushing for peace talks... But it can't just sit back and watch Russia fall. China is interested in Russia's sustained existence and strength not only for economic reasons but also for security reasons...
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"It will be a major event, comparable to China's admittance into the WTO organization, once the economic cooperation loop between China and Russia is formed.
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"To that aim, the land route between China and Russia must be strengthened, and the railways and pipelines connecting the two nations must be considerably enlarged, including Central Asian countries and Mongolia.
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"The development of the Arctic Ocean sea passage will also be accelerated if global warming continues."
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Link: guancha.cn/ChenFeng3/2022…