Rocket launch marks big step in building China’s lunar infrastructure

Queqiao-2 will relay data between Earth and Chinese spacecraft on the far side of the Moon.

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[Nurep]

Maybe China is willing to play nice, maybe not. But if you treat China as the enemy, they will act like the enemy.

It's the oldest political ploy in the world. Need to distract the population from all the unsolved domestic issues? "Hey, but what about those fuckers in China/USA/Russia?"

I know this is a rocket thread, but... For real? Treating Russia as an enemy is a ploy of our western politicians? Go watch "20 days in Mariupol" and tell me again.
And as for China they are clearly politically, rhetorically economically and to some extent militarily supporting Russia. Appeasement is not the way. Peace comes when the west is able to secure itself and deter violent actions by Russia and China. Not by bowing to Putin and Xi.

 

[Nurep]

Not going to defend Russia. But look up how many civilians were killed in Iraq, and compare that to Ukraine.

Then look up how many wars been started by China, and how many civilians have been killed by China in the past 40 years. China may have killed lots of its own people (hard to say for sure, as I am bathed in Western propaganda). But deaths due to international interventions by China? Not so much.

And if you are going to blame China for supporting Russia, do you similarly condemn India (a purported US ally) and Turkiye (a freaking NATO member). Heck, as of 2023, the EU was still purchasing some $18.4 Billion of Russian fossil fuels.

The real world is a lot messier than the propaganda that our media delivers.

Whataboutism doesn't absolve Russia. I personally think Bush and Cheney should have been in a cell in the Hague.
But by repeating the "what about Iraq" point you are exactly parotting the Russian propaganda narrative.

India has a neutral position. Lamentable as that is, it didn't condemn the invasion. But it doesn't actively politically and rhetorically support Russia. I find it understandable that they still buy hydrocarbons from Russia, given how poor a lot of Indians still are.

China on the other hand has basically stuck with the Russian propaganda narrative throughout the invasion. That is blaming the west and not laying any blame whatsoever at Putins feet. They are intensifying economic and political cooperation. As signalled amongst other things by their "no limits partnership" and regular top level visits.

Turkey condemned the invasion and has actively supported Ukraine, for instance by giving the Bayraktar drones.

As for the EU we have dramatically reduced our imports even since 2023. But there is a certain autocratic leader, Orban, who still loves to import from Russia.

I see that you have have fallen victim to a propaganda narrative. But it's not a Western one, it's the Rusian-Chinese narrative. And I am not sure you are aware to what extent you are parroting what the autocrats want you to think.

 

[Nurep]

I really doubt China is falling to any propaganda from outside their country.

As best as I can tell, Russia is just another resource for China to drain to fuel its own expansion. Chinese labor costs have been going up as quality of life improves, but Russian labor is (and will continue to be) extremely cheap. Russian fossil fuels also cost well below market rate thanks to US sanctions.

As for Russia invading Ukraine, that's not really something China would care about. They have no economic or cultural interest with small eastern European countries. China's much more likely to intervene in African conflicts if anything, due to their recent large investments in some parts there. I'm sure if Russia did anything China truly didn't like they could make them heel in short order.

Presuming with small eastern European countries you also talk about the biggest country in Europe, namely Ukraine?

The point is China and Russia are on one axis. When China invades Taiwan Russia will back it up and pay back the support it receives from China at the moment.

There is a reason Taiwanese diplomats are encouraging the US to support Ukraine. It's about a believable deterrent, and the idea that the US will stand with allies when it comes right down to it.