A Damning Critique of Putinism and Russian Foreign Policy by Feng Yujun and Wen Longjie

"In analysing Russia's conservative values, it is important to note that in addition to its instrumental pragmatism, there is also a deep-rooted messianic consciousness in its philosophy and culture."

Dear Everyone,

China and Russia’s “no limits” partnership, Xi calling Putin his “best friend” and Chinese media regularly parroting Russian propaganda make it sometimes difficult to keep in mind that Sino-Russian relations have almost always been marked by a certain amount of mutual distrust. Today’s piece is co-authored by one of China’s most outspoken critics of Russia, Feng Yujun (冯玉军), and is a useful reminder that both sympathisers and sceptics of Russia most likely coexist within the opaque confines of Zhongnanhai.

I am surprised that Feng and his co-author Wen Longjie’s particularly overt discrediting of Putinism, Russian propaganda and Moscow’s foreign policy was actually allowed to be published. Not least because it can read, at times, as an implicit criticism of some of Beijing’s own policies as you will see.

Today’s excerpts were translated thanks to the generous help of Daniel Crain.