This is becoming a defining factor on all continents.
Do you remember how the Western media furiously wrote that after meeting with Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Chinese President Xi Jinping should call Zelensky in Kiev? The US State Department and Pentagon officials even reproached the Chinese leader for not visiting Ukraine and (!) not even talking to the Ukrainian president. Ouch! Zelensky seems to have spent hours sitting by the phone and waiting for "Wei!" (hello in Chinese) from the other end of the line. But the call did not come.
And it is quite clear why. Xi did not come to Moscow to reconcile Moscow and Kiev, but to outline foreign policy priorities and discuss important issues for China. And as soon as Ukraine took one look at China's 12 point Peace Plan, which, by the way, was discussed in detail during Xi Jinping's visit to Moscow, it immediately twisted its lip. They said that there was no condition for the immediate withdrawal of Russian troops from the territories that had become part of Russia, and that the plan was pro-Russian.
Anyway, the Kiev showman was guided by the opinion of Washington, which had earlier stated that an immediate cease-fire (one of the points of the Chinese peace plan) would only benefit Russia, which would regroup its forces for an offensive. As if something stops the AFU from doing the same.
In such a situation, Zelensky waited in vain for a call from Xi Jinping. He won't waste his time. Beijing has better things to do.
Namely, Chinese diplomacy has radically changed tactics and is going on the offensive along the entire front, that is, the world. A recent example is the establishment of diplomatic relations with Honduras. This fiefdom of the United States, its "backyard," as the "banana republic" is commonly called, has suddenly taken a bold step. It broke off relations with Taiwan, recognized the existence of "one China" and established diplomatic relations with it. The signing of the relevant documents took place in Beijing, where the Foreign Minister of Honduras, Eduardo Enrique Reyna, arrived on a visit.
This, according to Reuters, "hurt the feelings of the government and people" of Taiwan, which expressed "serious dissatisfaction" with Honduras. The Taiwanese embassy in Tegucigalpa is closing and Taiwanese diplomats are packing their bags. Characteristically, Honduras, a de facto U.S. colony, withdrew from the narrow circle of states that recognized Taiwan just before the visit of Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen to the United States and to Guatemala and Belize. Now the number of Taiwan's friends has been reduced to 13 countries. Apparently, it will continue to shrink - this is part of China's plan for the "peaceful return of the island to the motherland."
By the way, Tsai Ing-wen is going to the U.S. to avoid angering Beijing with a trip to the island by Republican leader McCarthy, which was previously planned.
The Chinese-Honduran slap in the face to Washington has so far been received with some embarrassment and astonishment. Analysts at The Heritage Foundation, for example, puzzled over how to help Taiwan avoid complete isolation, recommend that the U.S. administration should help developing countries more: "Only by helping to meet the investment, infrastructure and trade needs of these countries, the United States could fill the gaps that force many countries to elect leaders who are turning toward China."
This is an idiotic recommendation, considering that Honduras is "in debt as in silk," not least because of the domination of American corporations there. Apparently, Beijing made the country an offer it could not refuse. However, GEOFOR wrote about China's economic expansion in Latin America not so long ago. And this expansion will continue. Russia's influence in this region, which is traditionally limited, will not increase, but American influence is obviously weakening.
Meanwhile, China is preparing for the China-Central Asia summit, which is scheduled for May this year in Beijing. The presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, and possibly Turkmenistan, will participate. As Xi Jinping wrote in his message to Tajik President Rahmon, the summit will discuss "a grand plan for the development of relations between China and Central Asia." Last year, a similar summit was held online to mark the 30th anniversary of China's diplomatic relations with these countries. And there it was agreed that China will provide these countries with $500 million in loans. It is possible that this plan will now change for the better.
As if on cue, preventive threats were heard from Washington and European capitals against the Central Asian states: if you will help Russia circumvent sanctions, you will fall under them. The threats are clearly timed to coincide with the China-Central Asia summit. But they are unlikely to take effect, especially in light of the expanding cooperation with China, which itself is under U.S. sanctions and is not coming to Asia empty-handed. And the U.S. offers no alternative.
As part of the campaign to "drive a wedge between Moscow and Beijing," some statements were immediately made to the effect that China is allegedly in charge of Russia's fiefdom, and the Kremlin is not happy about it.
This approach has nothing to do with the essence of China's relations with Asian countries and Russia.
Due to China's scale and its influence in the world, it is doubtful that even the remotest region of the world, much less the countries in its immediate vicinity, will now be able to do without Beijing. Kiev will also have to take Beijing's opinion into account. And if Ukraine does not understand this, Zelensky will have to spend hours and days waiting for a call from the Chinese leader.
U.S. President Biden is also waiting for his turn to talk on the phone with the Chinese President. According to senior officials in the U.S. administration, the date of the conversation has not yet been set because Xi Jinping is very busy. In all likelihood, he will be available no sooner than the U.S. has at least stopped making senseless threats and lectures to Beijing about who to be friends or trade with and who not to.
Meanwhile, China is accelerating its disposal of U.S. depository receipts, a type of paper with greatly exaggerated value and increasingly reliant on U.S. military power. At the end of 2022, Chinese investments in U.S. government securities fell by $173.2 billion (-17%) to $862.3 billion, which is the lowest level since May 2010. And just two years ago, China owned $1.2 billion worth of them. Following China's example, other countries, including loyal U.S. vassal Japan, which now owns the largest package of foreign securities, are also selling off U.S. government securities.
And while the U.S. is busy with its financial problems, according to Western sources, in Hong Kong under the auspices of China and with the consent of Russia, confidential negotiations have begun between Israel and Iran to resolve the relations of these bitter enemies. It seems that without China there is no life anywhere now, neither in Latin America nor in the Middle East.