Peace-Loving China Reportedly Told Putin To Wait Until After Olympics For Murders To Begin
Suspicions: confirmed!
We've spent much of the past several years listening to rightwingers grunting and wailing at China and "Chinese Communist Party" and the 'GIIIIIIIIINA VIRUS, not because rightwingers bother with any substantive criticisms of China, but because they're racists.
But here's some reporting about China we can be legitimately pissed about, and that doesn't surprise us in the least. Apparently China totally knew during the Olympics about Russia's plans to invade Ukraine for literally no reason, and actively encouraged Russia to please wait until the Olympic torch was extinguished to start committing bloody murder.
Lots of people were talking about Russia's upcoming invasion during the Olympics — it was just one of those things people were talking about, you know, like Russian figure skaters being full of Alex Jones's trucker speed or whatever. So it's not surprising to hear China knew. But it's really fuckin' gross at the same time, especially if they were actively holding Russia back from invading until a moment less embarrassing for China, the host nation, which was presiding over all the peace, love and understanding Pollyanna togetherness horseshit. Sounds like China was talking out of the other side of its mouth at the same time, telling Russia, "No murdering Ukraine until we're done with this little song and dance."
The New York Times broke this story and the Washington Post had it soon after, citing a "western intelligence report," so we are guessing this is part of President Joe Biden's new game of declassifying all solid intelligence about Russia's war on Ukraine, in order to knock the wind out of each and every move the motherfuckers make.
The Times says the intel report "indicates that Chinese officials had some level of direct knowledge" of what Vladimir Putin was about to do and told the Russians to cool their fucking jets "in early February." It notes that Chinese dictator Xi Jinping met with Russian dictator Putin on February 4, and soon after came that flowery statement about how Russia and China were best friends forever with no limits and NATO sucks. That statement notably did not mention Ukraine.
The Times is careful to say it's not clear if the "don't genocide Ukraine until after the curling competition is finished" message was delivered personally by Xi to Putin. The Post 's reporting says the message was delivered by "Chinese Communist Party officials" to "Russian officials." But, like, everybody knew, on both sides:
"[Putin's] desires were clear, said a U.S. official familiar with the intelligence.“
That was one of Xi’s biggest concerns” — that an invasion not happen “until after the Closing Ceremonies,” said the official, who like others spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the matter’s sensitivity.
China is issuing denials, but it remains true that the Olympics closed on February 20, the closing ceremonies played on American TVs that Sunday night, and then on Monday Putin made the first moves in his invasion, starting with that meandering batshit speech where he recognized the "independence" of two provinces in a country he has no rightful authority over.
The Times notes that it annoyed China very much when Putin invaded Georgia during their Summer Olympics in 2008. Better not make that mistake again, Vladimir! "Beijing was concerned that an invasion would be destabilizing and upset the Olympics, according to a [...] U.S. official," says the Post .
To relate this to news that's coming out right this minute, we might want to start watching for the Biden administration to start blurting out any intelligence it's got on what the Ukrainian foreign minister is talking about right here, if he's correct:
Worrying reports: Russians might have pointed multiple rocket-launching systems in the Russian border village of Popovka towards their own territory. Knowing the barbaric nature of Russian actions we fear a false flag operation might be prepared in order to accuse Ukraine.
— Dmytro Kuleba (@Dmytro Kuleba) 1646310929
That would be a very Putin move right there. Massacre a bunch of his own people, lie and say Ukraine did it, use it to consolidate power. See: Moscow, 1999, apartment bombings. He's got to do something, especially if his big convoy is still "stalled" 18 miles outside of Kyiv. Emmanuel Macrontalked to Putin today and a French official says Macron's impression of the call was that "the worst is yet to come."
NEW: Russia's intelligence agency, the Federal Security Service, has drafted plans for public executions in #Ukraine after cities are captured, per a European intelligence official
— Kitty Donaldson (@Kitty Donaldson) 1646315348
Maybe it would be helpful if Putin's best friend Xi told him to maybe not bomb his own people or do public executions or anything else. Maybe his best friend Xi should say it's really fucked to do shit like this during the Paralympic Games, which start tomorrow, and which the Russians and Belarusians are now banned from.
We are just spitballing here.
[ New York Times / Washington Post ]
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sure, Xi has all sorts of cred to stand on the high ground here...
Surely we are distant cousins and I shall now think of you as an Irish Wolf; an honored beast, indeed.