Just my two cents.
I think another obvious lesson for China to take away from the Russian - Ukraine war. Is the West's ability to sanction and plunder Russian overseas wealth. The assets of both private and public Russian figures have been frozen by Western banks, leasing firms, and institutions. Not only is money frozen, but also assets like property, football clubs, and yachts.
What did the West do with that money? I suspect, its to bankroll their war support to Ukraine. Those weapons, supplies, mercenary salaries, probably paid for by money stolen from the Russians. Why I think like this? They did the same thing with Iraq, Libya, Syria, Venezuela, and most recently, Afghanistan. Venezuela is the most obvious example. The West had frozen Venezuelan funds in their banks. And then they gave that money to Juan Guaido to fund his political campaign and blackops operations. Funds frozen from Iraq, Libya, Syria, and Afghanistan were also frozen and used to fund black activities against them.
For China, this danger is ever more imminent. The Trump administration had laid the US foundations to do such things to China via their Hong Kong, Tibet, and Xinjiang Acts. Trump had attempted to blame China for Covid-19 to claim reparations. I think the plunder did not happen on China at that time because they chickened out. There were too many unknowns. Now, they have already done it to Russia. They will have tasted blood, and might itch to do the same to China.
Off course, the long term concequences of such blatant plunder by the West is dire indeed. But the Western leaders are not long term thinkers. Plus their economies are getting quite desperate.
What China would need to do is to try to move as much Chinese funds out Western countries as possible. It is quite impossible to get them all out at this point. The interconnection of Chinese and Western economies is too extensive. But its better to save every billion possible. Secondly, China needs to try to find a way to harden its economy to Western crippling sanctions. Come up with clear laws to seize Western assets in China, if the West attempts the same type of plunder in China.
I know that the West cannot punish China economically like it did with Russia. China can bite back with vastly more venom than Russia. But if Trump or another nutjob Sinophobic US president (like Pompeo) comes into power by 2024, who can really tell? Better for China to prepare for this, than to assume that it will never happen. Because touch wood, if a conflict were to happen in Taiwan. The US and the West will surely pounce on China with sanctions.
