https://www.economist.com/by-invitation/2024/04/11/russia-is-sure-to-lose-in-ukraine-reckons-a-chinese-expert-on-russiahttps://archive.is/M2pn0A Peking University senior researcher predicted that Russia will ultimately suffer complete defeat in its war with Ukraine. Calling Russia’s failure “inevitable,” he projected Moscow’s forces “will be forced to withdraw from all occupied Ukrainian territories, including Crimea.”
In many ways, the comments from Professor Feng Yujun are anodyne, in line with what researchers from any NATO nation’s think tank might come up with. But the sourcing has raised eyebrows among China watchers, as Peking University’s School of International Studies has historically served as an unofficial channel bridging the gap between official public policy and the unspoken opinions of those in the background who seek to change that present-day policy. China watchers are asking whether Feng’s article is a step in the evolution of differences in Chinese and Russian positions - or is it an overt signal of internal CCP debate over Beijing’s policy towards Putin.
