Putin’s war in Ukraine stokes fears that China’s Xi will build empire of his own

Chinese General Secretary Xi JinpingIts extensive sovereignty claims in the South China Sea It is clear that he believes in The “illusion of building an empire” Through the Philippines and all across the Indo-Pacific, a key U.S.-allied government fears.

“We can’t just sit by and say just, ‘Go ahead and take whatever you want,’ and before we know it, tomorrow, we may not even have the Luzon island,” According to a Philippine official, the Washington Examiner. “I mean, this is something — this is [the] realities that we face right now. And, right now, our interests are aligned with the United States.”

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For such a nightmarish prospect — the loss of the country’s largest island, home to the nation’s capital, Manila — to become imaginable, however unlikely it seems, reflects more than just frustration with Chinese Coast Guard aggression in the PhilippinesIt is the only economic zone. This also points out the deeper fear sparked in Russia by President Putin Vladimir PutinThe invasion is complete UkraineIt was a conflict which has caused allies of the U.S. in Europe and Indo-Pacific to question their understanding of international affairs.

“When you have personalities that lead a country now that have that illusion of building an empire — now, we don’t know if President Xi [does], but it seems like he’s going in that direction,” The official from the Philippines said that Xi and Putin could play the same roles as Nazi Germany or imperial Japan in the Second World War. “He’s saying he’s going after Taiwan, he wants the unification of China, but who knows? The Japanese don’t think so. We’re beginning to think that there’s a grander design to take over the entire Indo-Pacific region.”

According to senior Indo-Pacific and European officials, such a scenario would seem more plausible if Russia is viewed as victor in the Ukraine war.

“For all those that are doubting whether the U.S. is a trusted ally, this would be a strong sign for them that they are right,” The Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Pawel jablonski spoke to the Washington Examiner. “If this will be some form of demonstrating that the U.S. is not strong enough to achieve the goals of defeating Russia and bringing permanent peace to Europe, not just a ceasefire for several months, this would further encourage such voices.”

These assessments highlight the diplomatic context that is needed to foster ties between Europe and the Indo-Pacific wings of U.S. alliance. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has described “a strong sense of urgency that Ukraine today, maybe East Asia tomorrow.” He was among four heads-of-state from the Indo-Pacific region to attend. NATO Summit in Madrid, Spain last year with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol as well as leaders from Australia and New Zealand.

“What is at stake in Ukraine is really much more significant than any other war that has taken place in the recent past because this is clearly a test of where countries have their boundaries,” The official from the Philippines said so. “And once they start moving into the