Yes, THIS. Whatever the final outcome in Ukraine, China will be the winner. While the West and Russia pour resources into Ukraine, countries are buying Russian oil and gas with yuan (not the almighty petrodollar) through Chinese banks, China has access to Russian resources while the rest of the world faces alarming food and energy shortages ... and that’s just the beginning.
A leading Chinese academic used a Chinese iduom to describe it:
“The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind”
(figurative meaning: “to pursue a narrow gain while neglecting a greater danger”)
Then says “The bigger question that the United States is unwilling to face is, who is the mantis and who is the cicada?” China is obviously the oriole. So are we the cicada or the mantis? And which is Russia? Does it matter?
Have a look at a mantis attempting to capture a cicada:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=V3A7tqJoVGs
As you can see, both are large insects. The mantis is strong, and intelligent for an insect, with amazing reach, but the huge, noisy, primitive cicada is also very strong, well-armored and has an enormous wingspan. Both are likely to be damaged or weakened in such a fight. Meanwhile, the oriole stalks from behind.
Link to essay by Chinese academic Chen Feng (you’ll have to run it through Google translate. Long, but well worth the read — and keep in mind it was written back in March):
https://m.guancha.cn/ChenFeng3/2022_03_02_628308
Meanwhile there is a cowbird secretly laying eggs in the Oriole nest
Trouble at home is China’s main problem at present