China plays chess, while Russia plays poker

Putin has managed to turn Russia into a vassal state of China, a fact confirmed by Xi’s visit to Russia. The Sino/Russo alliance against the West is solidified between them but the alliance is not one of equals. Russia is China’s petrol station, while China provides Russia with manufacturing goods. This is China's moment. This week we discuss politics, geo-strategy and the enduring appeal, despite its failings, of the West. Plus a riff on car seats, Yuri Gagarin and why in 1492, it was European not Chinese ships that crossed the oceans to conquer the New World.

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