China's position on Russia's war in Ukraine made headlines twice last week. The first newsworthy event occurred when China's Ambassador to Paris Lu Shaye claimed that Crimea was rightfully Russian. Lu furthermore impugned the sovereignty of the former Soviet Republics that had achieved their independence following the collapse of the Soviet Union.
According to a new report, the world’s primary recipient of Ukrainian grain is China, and the pace of exports has exceeded pre-war levels. But the Chinese leader’s long game goes much further.