[mindslight]

I don't see why it's even a dichotomy as pushed by GP. Russia is now the junior partner in the Russia-China relationship against the US/EU international order (as opposed to the Cold War). Putin is actively testing the strength of that international order, Xi is mostly passively watching and biding time. The outcome of Russia-Ukraine will most certainly determine how aggressively China acts going forward.

[shiroiushi]

>Russia is now the junior partner in the Russia-China relationship against the US/EU international order (as opposed to the Cold War).

China: "The circle is now complete. 50 years ago, I was but the learner. Now, I am the master."

[fragmede]

plus that whole China being older than Russia thing

[shiroiushi]

I don't see how: China only started in 1949. The USSR is older than that, while the USSR's zombie reincarnation is only about 30 years old. If you're talking about historical China, then you might as well talk about Genghis Khan or the founding of the city of St. Petersburg or whatever; it's kinda pointless because modern nation-states don't resemble those ancient societies at all.

[fragmede]

it's not pointless, it's history. Genghis Khan and St Petersburg are good examples.

[shiroiushi]

No, it IS pointless. The society that existed in Khan's day doesn't resemble modern society in any way. So by your logic, the United States is actually tens of thousands of years old, because it started when the Native Americans crossed the land bridge from Asia, and various countries in sub-saharan Africa are several millions of years old because that's when modern humans first evolved there.