> Russia is near inconsequential compared to their existing economy, trade, and clout. Russia is inconsequential compared to their trade and economy but not cl

> Russia is near inconsequential compared to their existing economy, trade, and clout. Russia is inconsequential compared to their trade and economy but not clout. But looking at the overall figures is just partial picture. China imported over 10M barrels of oil per day last year. [1] At current prices of Brent, i.e. an import bill of $1.4 billion per day or $500 billion per year. Imagine getting a discount on that. Also, Russia still has tech advantages over China in some areas, the best fighter aircraft in PLA's force uses Russian made engines. They rely on Russia for their Air defense systems, the S400. [1] https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/chinas-crude-oil-imports-post-first-annual-drop-20-years-2022-01-14/ https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/chinas-crude-oil...