This is a bullshit story being circulated by Russia and Iran, because what else are they going to say, that they weren't able to do more to hold their positions? Nobody is going to simply admit defeat. I'm supposed to believe that Assad's government asked these two countries for help, but then refused the help once they spent all this money and put their reputations on the line? And then to reward Assad for humiliating them like that, they give him asylum and a Russian citizenship? Non of that adds up.
China lost more than both Russia and Iran in this, because now the US has a major burden off their shoulders and one less thing to worry about. Now they will up the intensity of Syrian resource rape and guess what? All of that money will be spent one ruining China's interests.
China definitely has a duty to provide its allies with the option of securing their information space, because the US will definitely use that to conduct coups and spread anti-China propaganda. Do you see Japan using Weibo for example? They won't even provide an English version of that to try and counter the misinformation, and that is just one example that would cost them literally pocket change.
All this investment you are talking about would have paid for itself and then some. You don't think Iraq and Syria want stable railways and electricity? China is already working on megaprojects in Afghanistan right now as we speak, and these people have next to no wealth. Syria and Iraq are far wealthier and in need of infrastructure,too!
If you think a country as wealthy as China miraculously survive without a powerful military spread out around the world, then you are delusional. They are in direct economic competition with the US, which automatically means the US has China in it's lenses and is right now brainstorming ways to disrupt Chinese global trade with or without the US military's direct involvement. The state of success that China is in right now, is temporary unless China starts backing it up with actual military bases to host them away from home. Look at the lengths the US has gone to with Russia, sanctioning them, banning them from sports, arresting Russian nationals worldwide, sending missiles literally inside Russia, blowing up energy infrastructure. If Russia with it's massive nuclear arsenal failed to deter the US, Do you honestly think the US is afraid of the more forgiving and nuclearly weaker China in that regard? Right now the US will look to invest heavily in infrastructure outside of China, and that may take a very long time, but it is happening whether you like it or not, and when that happens, then the US is free to sanction and isolate and disrupt Chinese people's lives all it wants, unless China starts spreading it's wings.
China is not some irrelevant country. It is a superpower, and superpower, which means it is in this game not by choice, but by its wealth, power and influence. You cannot win a game by not participating in it, which is exactly what China is doing right now.
Well, since you don't care about my views, save your time and don't engage with me in personal attacks and disgusting racism.
