Xi Jinping’s chaos-loving friends
Why is stability-obsessed China aligned with Iran, North Korea and Russia?
TURMOIL FASCINATED Mao Zedong, a revolutionary who enthused that when “there is great chaos under heaven, the situation is excellent”. Today China is the indispensable patron of regimes with a Maoist relish for disorder and for terrorising neighbours, including Iran, North Korea and Russia. Without China as a trading partner and diplomatic defender—notably at the UN, when sanctions are on the agenda—those troublemakers would pay a higher price for their lawless, aggressive ways.
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This article appeared in the China section of the print edition under the headline “Xi Jinping’s disruptive friends”
From the February 10th 2024 edition
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