China backing Russia only further entrenches Western support for a side that is fundamentally winning the war. And really, China is backing Putin to a certain

China backing Russia only further entrenches Western support for a side that is fundamentally winning the war. And really, China is backing Putin to a certain degree, not Russia. If Putin's regime falls, the next power structure has a choice: 1) ally with Europe and apologize to the newly empowered Ukraine that is just a couple hundred miles from Moscow (and now has a modern, well-trained Western military of substantial capability), and where all your elites want to travel and live in 2) ally with China who are thousands of miles away, where most significant economic activity is across deserts and mountains, and none of your elites want to visit