Does it? I can't think up examples, I'm afraid. All I see is Russia belatedly responding to being encircled and hounded after it tried every conceivable way to integrate with the West.
Fair enough. I agree Russia is responding from a weaker position and China should support a weaker imperialist (Russia) against a stronger imperialist power (e.g. US/NATO). This is the correct geostrategic policy, we agree on this point.
For instance, I - with my eyes wide open - support what Russia's doing now on moral grounds.
If you have basic moral principles, you would call out imperialism, whether it is Russian or American, regardless of if whether they are you 'best friend' or not. Principles are not conditional on who is doing the annexation.
I oppose the West's encroachment
To be real, both US and Russia are "defending core interests" by using offensive imperialism. It's a matter of semantics, perspective, and word choices.
Your interpretation of
West's encroachment can easily be argued as 'pre-emptive self-defense security enlargement' arrangement by others.
My interpretation of
Crimean annexation can easily be argued as 'pre-emptive self-defense maneuvers' by others.
When you remove all the layers of bullshit propaganda by both sides, it's both sides using offensive imperialism "defensively."
into Slavic territories (as I oppose its encroachment into any people's territories)
Unfortunately, "Slavic territories" makes it sound like Russia is somehow 'entitled' to this area based on vague ethnic/racial kinship. Are individual Slavic ethnicities incapable of critical thinking for deciding their own fate? This dehumanizes individual Slavic ethnic groups into mere subservience, and infantalizes them as if they are incapable of governing without a master overlord (Russia). This is quite dehumanizing and infantilizing.
and support Russia's efforts to repel this encroachment.
I support Russia's effort to repel NATO expansionism too. "The enemy of your enemy is your friend".
That concords very well with my basic moral principles.
It concords with your geostrategic preferences on countering the US, but as far as basic moral principles, I'm not fully convinced.
If you like slapping the "imperialist" label on things, perhaps you might find some examples of Chinese imperialism - or is China exempt from your moralizing?
Well yea, if you stretch back 2000 years, you can find some examples of Chinese imperialism, but we are talking about 2014 Crimean annexation, just 8 years ago, a fairly modern recent event in an era where annexation and imperialism is frown down upon.
Why do you have this urge to "subordinate" Russia?
Just like your urge to subordinate all "Slavic" territories into Russian overlordship.
Using your logic, Russia is somehow 'entitled' to Slavic overlordship because it's the most powerful among all the Slavic states. Now apply your logic to the power dynamic between Russia and China. By 2050, China will be the most richest and powerful nation on earth with overwhelming economic and military power compared to US, much less Russia. Do you think Russia, a former Superpower and independent Great Power, would tolerate to be junior subordinate status to China like in an US-UK relationship?
@ZeEa5KPul I have a question to you: Do you think China should enter into a formal military treaty alliance with Russia, or does the current unlimited friendship+++ suffice? I personally do not support a formal military treaty alliance with Russia which will drag China into Middle East/Eastern Europe quagmires/crap and potentially nuclear WW3. (i.e., don't put all eggs into one basket.)
