Tracing God's Providence: After the Fall of the Berlin Wall - Day 8 (End)

Good evening, everyone. To be honest, after last night, I wasn't sure I had anything left to say. I started putting some things together today, and something emerged. Yesterday, we were looking at how things developed in Europe and then also Russia and Ukraine. This is basically the first time I've ever given this kind of material, so I'm just making it up as I go along. It's just a first draft, and as I'm teaching it, I realise there are lots of holes that I need to fill in and develop for the next time I teach this lecture series.

We looked at how things developed after the Second World War in Europe, starting with the European Union and then the Council of Europe. These are two very different bases for these organisations. The Council of Europe, after NATO, consists of independent sovereign nations that establish intergovernmental bodies. It's based entirely on these nations cooperating with each other on different projects. The basic project of the Council of Europe is promoting democracy, human rights, and free trade among the nations involved. NATO, on the other hand, is a military defence alliance where sovereign nations work together.

The European Union, however, is a super governmental body that can dictate to the nations. We have the European Commission, which acts like the executive, the European Parliament as the legislature, and the European Court as the judiciary. These are governmental bodies that are above the level of national governments and institutions, with the authority to impose dictates and laws upon nations. It's very easy to leave the Council of Europe or NATO, but it's very difficult to leave the European Union.

If we consider other recent supranational political bodies, the 20th century saw Yugoslavia, which was cobbled together after the First World War in the ruins of the Ottoman Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It was a mix of different nations and ethnic groups that set up a system of supranational bodies to rule Yugoslavia. It was communist, although not closely aligned with the Warsaw Pact. It held together largely due to the personality of Tito, and when he died, the whole thing gradually fell apart. Another significant supranational political body we looked at yesterday was the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, formed from the ruins of the Russian Empire. The nations voluntarily became socialists or communists and were meant to exist within a federal framework.

When we examined the origins of the European Union, we found that almost all the people involved in its development were either socialists or communists. There were very few who were politically liberal or conservative. I mentioned the Treaty of Rome and the Treaty of London, which marked the founding of the Council of Europe versus the founding of the European Union. The EU has been trying to undermine the Council of Europe, which has the European Declaration of Human Rights and the European Court of Human Rights. The EU refuses to join the Council of Europe or submit itself to judgment by the European Court of Human Rights, essentially trying to undermine it.

The way the European Union has developed is part of a broader stream within European political culture, tracing back to the Greeks and Romans and through various empires. This has given rise to legal traditions like Justinian Roman law and the Napoleonic Code. The Council of Europe, however, comes from a very different tradition. It's challenging to change one into the other; we just have to work with what exists. I found an interesting picture of the Tower of Babel and the European Parliament, which bears some similarity. One wonders if one is modelled on the other. We need to look at the origins to understand the trajectory and what is likely to come in the future.

During my discussion about providence after Jesus, I mentioned how Christianity spread east. Normally, we talk about how Christianity went west through the Roman Empire, which is the Catholic view of history. However, Christianity also went east, and the largest church in the early church was the Nestorian Church, whose patriarchate was in Baghdad. Because they were considered heretics by the Catholic Church, European histories often overlook them. Christianity spread to Arabia, along the Silk Road to Mongolia, Beijing, and even as far as Korea and around India and China. It arrived in China in 635 when a Persian Christian named Alopen went there as a missionary. The early history of the Chinese church is recorded on a stele that describes many of the early Christian bishops. Christianity flourished in the Tang Dynasty for about 200 years before it faced persecution and decline during the 10th century due to the next dynasty's xenophobia.

Christianity also arrived in Korea around that time, but I don't have the exact details. Korean history is about five thousand years old, but they don't have buildings that are five thousand years old. In Britain, we have Stonehenge, which is five thousand years old. The Choson Dynasty was established in the late 14th century, and one of its most famous kings was King Sejong the Great, who established the Hangul alphabet. Before this, Korean was always written in Chinese, which required a lot of time and effort to learn. This led to a hierarchical society where only the rich could read and write. King Sejong wanted to create an alphabet that everyone could learn, which was logical and systematic. The educated elite were not keen on this idea, as it meant losing their power over knowledge.

During this time, Korea faced invasions from the Japanese, and Admiral Yi developed turtle boats, supported by the Chinese Ming Dynasty, to defeat the Japanese in naval battles. The Manchus invaded Korea in the 17th century, and Korea came under Qing rule, which meant that China became the feudal overlord of Korea for about 300 to 400 years. Korea had to pay tribute to China, demonstrating its subordinate status. During this time, Korea experienced 200 years of peace and isolation, which it describes as the Hermit Kingdom. It's interesting to note that no country in Europe has experienced 200 years of peace without being invaded. While Britain hasn't been invaded for about a thousand years, it has been engaged in many wars. In contrast, Korea had 200 years of undisturbed peace, allowing it to develop its own culture, although it became very xenophobic and hostile to foreign trade and contact, including with missionaries.

Christianity's arrival in China was facilitated by a Korean envoy who came across some Catholic texts. Jesuits like Francis Xavier went to China as missionaries and rose high in court circles. The Korean envoy brought back these texts, leading to the establishment of study groups in Korea. However, Koreans were unhappy about this foreign influence, and Christianity was outlawed in 1758. In 1840, some French missionaries were sent to Korea, and in 1856, a French bishop was appointed. During this time, Russia was expanding eastward, looking for a port and ending up with Vladivostok. In 1866, Russian ships were spotted off the Korean coast, indicating that Russia was spying on the land. China was weakened due to its engagement in the Opium Wars with Britain, which it lost. The Catholic bishop and priests proposed an alliance to some Korean Catholics connected to the court, suggesting that Korea ally with France and Britain for protection against Russia, Japan, or even China. This was a good idea from a providential point of view, as it could have formed a relationship between Adam and the archangel nations.

If this alliance had gone ahead, Korea might have accepted missionaries from Europe, along with education and modernization. This could have led to the development of liberal ideas, free markets, free trade, democratization, and constitutional reforms. Countries that were part of the British Empire often sent young people from leading families to Britain for education. For example, Gandhi and Nehru went to school in Britain, as did many others who later became influential leaders.

Back to their own country, many people were brought from the colonies by Britain and France to study in universities and schools. They were then sent back to their countries to be involved in administration and modernization. This was a great opportunity, and from God's point of view, one could say it was God's providence. I remember Father mentioned in the old Chong Seong Yong that he should have married an English princess. I wondered if there was ever a possibility of that happening. Father spoke about the relationship between Korea and Britain during his visits in the 1970s, and I contemplated how it could have been possible for him to marry an English princess. In 1945, it seemed impossible, but I thought perhaps something went wrong in the past.

If Korea had made an agreement with Britain and France, it could have become a British protectorate rather than a colony. Given that Father came from a leading Korean family, it is conceivable that he might have been invited to study in England at Eton or Harrow. If he had attended such prestigious schools, he would have had the opportunity to meet people connected to the royal family. Considering his character, it is quite possible that he could have won the heart of an English princess. This union could have led to the unity of Korea and Britain, allowing Father to stand on the foundation of the Judeo-Christian liberal democratic tradition, which could have developed rapidly under God's providence.

The Queen of England is still the head of state for 16 nations, including Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. If Father had established this connection, he could have built on the foundation of God's 2000-year providence of Judeo-Christian liberal democracy, working throughout what was then the British Empire and later the Commonwealth. However, the Koreans were quite xenophobic, and the Korean court rejected this proposition outright. As a result, seven French priests were martyred, and about 10,000 Korean Catholics faced persecution. This was the largest case of persecution and martyrdom in the Christian world during the 19th century, despite claims that Korea was welcoming to foreign religions.

The persecution of Korean Catholics began with the Cheong Hey persecution, where French clergy were executed. The first Korean priest was also executed during this time. The Pyongyang persecution saw about 8,000 Korean Catholics executed, which was half of the Catholic population in Korea. One reason Catholicism was rejected was that it was perceived as undermining the traditional Confucian social order. Christianity teaches that every human being is equal in the eyes of God, which contradicts the hierarchical nature of Confucianism, where value is determined by one's position in the hierarchy.

Christianity's rejection of ancestor worship also posed a challenge. In the Bible, there is no mention of ancestor worship, as only God is to be worshipped. This belief leads to tribalism and xenophobia. The Confucian ideal demanded absolute respect for the father and king, while Christianity emphasises obedience to one's conscience. This means it is acceptable to rebel against a father or king if they instruct one to do something wrong. Additionally, Christianity promotes gender equality, which conflicts with Confucianism's emphasis on father-son relationships. Confucianism prioritises the father's authority, while biblical tradition grants equal authority to both husband and wife.

Concerns about Korean sovereignty also played a role in the rejection of Catholicism. During the mid-19th century, Korea was wary of foreign influence, particularly following the Opium Wars between Britain and China. There was a fear that forming a relationship with Britain could lead to British domination. The allegiance of Catholics to the Pope was seen as a threat to the king's authority. Koreans desired independence, but in the 19th century, they had to choose between being part of various empires, including the Chinese, Russian, Japanese, French, or British empires. Ultimately, Korea rejected the idea of becoming a British protectorate and instead became part of the Japanese Empire due to internal political and financial issues, as well as peasant rebellions.

Protestantism eventually came to Korea through a Welsh missionary named Robert Germain Thomas. He was inspired by a religious revival in Wales and decided to become a missionary. He learned Chinese and aimed to bring Bibles to Korea, where he discovered that Christians lacked access to them. In 1866, the same year that many Catholics were martyred, he travelled to Korea on the General Sherman, a merchant ship. Due to misunderstandings, the ship ran aground, leading to a clash with the Koreans, who set fire to the vessel. Thomas jumped into the water with his Bibles and began distributing them to the Koreans upon reaching the bank, but he was ultimately martyred.

Interestingly, the Koreans who received these Bibles used the paper for wallpaper in their homes. As they became bored, they began to read the walls, which led many to feel the Holy Spirit and convert to Christianity. This is how Protestant Christianity developed in Korea. About ten years later, a Scottish missionary named John Ross learned Korean and translated the Bible into the language. He distributed these Bibles in disguise to avoid persecution. Despite Korea's initial rejection of treaties with Britain and France, the dynamics changed when America signed a treaty with Japan in 1854, leading to the Meiji Restoration and Korea's forced unequal trade treaty with Japan in 1876. This treaty placed Korea in a subordinate position, and despite the Korean king's desire for American goods and protection, he was reluctant to accept Christianity or democracy, leading to further complications in Korea's relations with the West.

Liberalising at that time, there was the Treaty of Portsmouth, which was an unequal treaty. I can't remember the contents now, and then there was the Ulsa Treaty, where Korea became a protectorate of Japan. Not that Korea wanted to become a protectorate, but it was forced to be. Then came the Korea-Japan Treaty in 1907, where Korea came to be controlled by Japan again; it was a forcibly imposed treaty. Finally, the Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty in 1910 resulted in a loss of Korean sovereignty, and basically, Japan annexed Korea as if it were a region of Japan. To be honest, the Koreans have nobody to blame but themselves for this situation. So, what was going on? You had the beginnings of Christianity coming to Korea. There was another revival in Wales, where hundreds of thousands of Welsh people converted and accepted Jesus into their hearts. This extraordinary outpouring of the Holy Spirit spread to India and then, a couple of years later, to Korea. There was a meeting of missionaries in Korea, and the Holy Spirit descended in an incredible outpouring, leading to a spiritual repentance. Very rapidly, this became known as the Korean Pentecost, and today, Korean Christianity is often regarded as one of the most vital in the world. An important event to mention is March the first, 1919. At that time, Koreans had been part of the Japanese Empire, but on March the first, 1919, there was a Korean Declaration of Independence. A mother spends quite a lot of time in her autobiography discussing this event and the role of her own grandmother in it. This declaration was influenced by Woodrow Wilson's 14 Points. Towards the end of the First World War, America entered the war very late, and Wilson invited Germany to peace talks based on these 14 Points. The Germans, upon receiving this proposal, thought it was nice and wanted to proceed, but Wilson had not consulted London or Paris, and the British and French did not approve of these points. Koreans came across these points and expressed their desire for independence, as part of these 14 Points stated that all colonies should become independent. They wanted to have representatives at the Versailles Conference in Paris to argue for their own independence. This is what the demonstrations were about. In that sense, Korea was connected, in inverted commas, to a worldwide foundation for the Messiah, which was the very first time we did that. Two million Koreans participated in one and a half thousand demonstrations, resulting in about seven and a half thousand deaths, many wounded, and numerous arrests. However, the Korean delegation to the Versailles Peace Conference was blocked by Japan and the United States. Japan was on the side of the Allies at that time and was involved in some German colonies in the Far East, which I can't recall now. As a result, the United States and Japan blocked the Korean delegation from Versailles, and Korea was unable to claim independence. The only colonies that became independent were those of the losers; the colonies of the victors remained under their control. Since Japan was on the side of the victors, Korea remained a Japanese colony. The Japanese occupation of Korea was pretty awful, involving the imposition of language and cultural changes. Koreans had to change their names to Japanese ones, and there was Shinto worship and religious persecution. While this was all very negative, there was also a significant amount of modernization and industrialization during this time. Korea was an incredibly backward country economically, and Japan contributed greatly to its modernization and industrialization, albeit alongside the negative aspects of occupation. From Korea, Japan was able to invade Manchuria, which was part of China, in 1931. This was an expansion for living space, similar to Germany's desire to expand eastward. Japan, feeling somewhat constrained on its island, sought to expand into Manchuria. Many terrible things took place during the Japanese occupation of Manchuria, including the Nanking Massacre, where about 20,000 Japanese women were raped. The Japanese army had Unit 731, which experimented on human beings with biological agents and chemicals, similar to the atrocities committed by the Nazis against the Jews. There was also the issue of comfort women in Korea, Japan, and China. Following the Doolittle Raid, after Japan declared war on America, President Roosevelt ordered a bombing of Japan. In 1942, some American bombers reached Japan and dropped bombs, but they were unable to return to American carriers and instead landed in China. As a result, the Japanese executed about 10,000 Chinese people, whether they collaborated with or sheltered the American pilots or not. There was extensive experimentation with chemical and biological weapons during this time. The United States supported China and did not endorse the Japanese occupation of Manchuria, imposing sanctions on Japan, particularly an oil embargo. Japan suffered from severe restrictions on oil, which was a significant issue for its navy. Feeling cornered by American sanctions, Japan felt it had no alternative but to attack America, leading to the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941. A very important lesson here is that the sanctions imposed on Russia today must be approached with caution. Japan felt it had no way out but to retaliate militarily. After the Second World War, Japan was defeated, and the United States occupied southern Korea while the USSR occupied northern Korea. There was a possibility that all of Korea could have gone communist because many Koreans were communists, opposing the Japanese occupation. If America had not occupied southern Korea, it is likely that the entire country would have elected a communist government. The United States suppressed the communist party in the south, which is why the south did not go communist. Essentially, democracy and the free market were imposed on South Korea by America, while North Korea voluntarily became communist under Kim Il-sung. There has never been a Soviet occupation in Korea, apart from the first couple of years; it has been entirely implemented by Koreans themselves. Sometimes people wonder what Korea would be like without Western influence. A lot of anti-Western sentiment exists in South Korea, with many blaming the West for various issues. However, one only has to look at North Korea to see the kind of society and country Koreans create when left to their own devices. The Korean War ensued because South Korea wanted to hold elections, and for various reasons, the North invaded. Today, there is a significant amount of animosity between Korea and Japan, as well as between China and Japan. This often appears in history books because the Chinese and Koreans argue that Japan does not acknowledge the terrible things it did in its history. There is a lot of resentment and hatred towards Japan from both North and South Koreans, as well as from China. This hatred is a significant problem, and it is one that Father tried to address through the blessing of Korean and Japanese couples together. Father invested a lot in resolving this issue, as it is incredibly important. We believe that Korea is the new Israel, and Chong Kyong might be described as the new Jerusalem. You might be interested to know why the temples were destroyed in Israel the first time around. The Jewish commentary, the Talmud, reflects on this history. According to the Talmud, the sins that caused the destruction of the first temple, as listed by the Babylonians, were idolatry, forbidden sexual relations, and murder. The severity of these sins is well documented in Jewish law. From a Jewish perspective, these are the three worst sins. Each of these is a capital offense, and they are known as sins for which one ought to let oneself be killed rather than violate. There were times in Jewish history when, for example, in Britain in the 13th century, Jews faced severe persecution due to anti-Semitic feelings. In one case, a mob threatened a group of Jews hiding in a tower, and rather than allow themselves to be raped and murdered, they chose to kill each other. Another issue was that Christians would sometimes force Jews to commit idolatry, such as worshipping Jesus. This reflects the severity of the situation at the time. The Talmud continues that even though the Jews were engaged in Torah study and fulfilling commandments diligently, the second temple was destroyed due to baseless hatred throughout the nation. This demonstrates that the sin of baseless hatred is just as severe as the sins of idolatry, sexual transgressions, and murder, as all these transgressions were responsible for the destruction of the temple and the exile of the Jewish people. You have to consider what this baseless hatred was about. At that time, there was a Roman occupation, which was incredibly severe. During my previous workshop on Jesus, I discussed some of the harsh actions taken by the Romans during their occupation of Israel, including incredibly harsh taxation. Towns that refused to pay taxes were often sold into slavery, and anyone who revolted was put to death. Thousands of Jews were crucified, as crucifixion was a punishment for rebellion. The Jews were among the most rebellious of all Roman subjects, and eventually, they rebelled against the Romans, leading to the destruction of the temple. They rebuilt again, but the Romans attempted to exterminate the Jews, resulting in the deaths of half a million, with many villages destroyed. Those who survived were sold into slavery. The Jews who lived in Israel today are all descended from the Jewish diaspora, which occurred much earlier. This is the issue that Jesus was addressing.

All are trying to deal with the hatred that the Jews felt towards the Romans because of the occupation. Now, you have to think about this: what about the hatred Koreans have for the Japanese? What about the hatred that North Koreans, and quite a lot of South Koreans, also have for America? There’s a lot that motivates Korean finance businesses, such as Samsung, which wants to be bigger than Apple. There’s a huge mixture of an inferiority and superiority complex going on there; they want to have bigger companies and corporations than those in America. Then, you listen to what comes out of North Korea, threatening to bomb America and Japan. You have to ask yourself, what would happen if North Korea used nuclear weapons to attack Japan or the United States out of this baseless hatred? It would probably get nuked, and that would be the end of Korea. This is a serious issue because it can lead to a terrible outcome.

One has to think about how the Japanese people feel towards Koreans. There’s a lot of bad feeling going on in that direction as well, and a lot that needs to be resolved and restored. You look at how it was possible for the Cold War between Russia and the West to be resolved peacefully. I would say it was because of the Christian foundation. Why is there no longer a possibility of war within the continent of Europe between Germany and France? After the Second World War, a huge amount was invested by Christians in France and Germany to bring about reconciliation, exchange of towns, and all sorts of things to ensure that it could never happen again. You realise that after the First World War, the way France treated Germany, with reparations and humiliation, contributed to the development of the Second World War.

The recognition after the Second World War was that we cannot allow this to carry on; we need to try to establish a peaceful basis so that kind of war does not happen again. I think that’s one of the reasons why it was possible for the West and the Soviet Union to come to a peaceful resolution. There was a very deep Christian foundation in Russia, even though it was communist. There was still that strong Christian legacy. Putin calls himself a Christian, and there are rumours that Gorbachev was baptised by his grandmother. So, there’s certainly that kind of Christian cultural sphere in the background of the Soviet Union, which I think contributed to the peaceful resolution. In the Far East, however, that Christian foundation does not exist, and this is a serious issue that needs to be talked about and addressed.

For me, this is a bit of an issue when I look at our own spiritual community. What’s going on there? What’s the way in which Koreans talk about Japanese people, and how do Japanese people talk about Koreans? There’s this whole thing about Japanese people having to spend ten times as much on their ancestors as Koreans. Basically, Korean church leaders went over to Japan as tax farmers, skimming off the money to build houses and things in Korea. There are lots of important things to consider. How much are Koreans within our own spiritual community being told that they need to forgive the Japanese? They need to love the Japanese people, go the extra mile, turn the other cheek, and overcome all that historical resentment. The same applies to North Korea as well.

Looking at the last 400 years, we see that it started in Japan and Germany with Martin Luther and Protestantism, which went west to Britain and America, leading to the British Empire, free market, and liberal democracy, eventually arriving in Korea in 1945. From Germany, we had Karl Marx and communism, which went east to Russia and China, along with fascism and Nazism, bringing state control and totalitarianism. Just as Germany was divided, so too is Korea. Fortunately, there was a peaceful reunification of Germany, largely because of the Christian foundation there. It’s hard to imagine a peaceful reunification of Korea due to the very little Christian foundation in the South and none whatsoever in the North.

Father talked about some of these things. I remember when I went to the Washington Monument, he said Judaism is the elder brother's position, Christianity is the second brother's position, and the Unification Church is the position of the youngest brother. It sounds a bit pretentious, but there you go. Israel, the United States, and Korea are the nations upon which these three religions are based, and they must be brothers because they have a common destiny representing God’s side. The communist bloc has Satan’s representatives trying to isolate and destroy them at the United Nations. I thought that was very perceptive in 1976, and I think it’s still relevant today.

On the able side, you might say that Israel represents the Christian world, while South Korea represents the Cain side, with Iran, Syria, Hamas, and other Islamist movements trying to destroy Israel. China and Russia are involved in this whole confrontation with the West and North Korea and South Korea. We have incredibly important dynamics at play between the first, second, and third Israel. On the able side, we have Judaism, Christianity, and Unificationism, while on the Cain side, we have Islamism, which is an extreme version of Islam that is incredibly anti-Semitic and anti-Israel. Communism is like a Christian heresy in many ways, and from North Korea, we have this philosophy called Juche.

Let’s have a quick look at North Korea. This is the first draft of all this; it’s not all joined up yet, but I’m still trying to work my way through this material. North Korea is a communist one-party state with a planned economy, the most militarised nation in the world, and a nuclear state, which makes it scary. It has the worst human rights record in the world and a huge amount of religious persecution. This is North Korea at night—there’s not much electricity. This is South Korea at night—lots of electricity. I don’t think North Korea is a communist country; I think it’s more like a Nazi state, more akin to national socialism than communism. It doesn’t have the communist vision of equality for all humanity; instead, it has a racial ideology focused on bloodline. If there’s a criminal in North Korea, not only is that criminal punished, but their entire family, including cousins and second cousins, can also be imprisoned or executed. It’s a pretty unpleasant place.

Most Unificationists, when I said North Korea is Nazi, until Michael Breen confirmed that North Korea and Korea generally are more like Nazism than communism. The communist one-party state is very uncommunist and very Nazi. Kim Il-sung, the Great Leader, is the eternal president; Kim Jong-il was the Dear Leader, and the current one is the Brilliant Comrade, Kim Jong-un. I guess these titles are probably out of date now, as he has likely promoted himself since then. There’s a personality cult around Kim Jong-il, akin to the worship of figures like Nimrod, Hitler, or Stalin, as divine rulers. This tradition of the pharaohs, who were considered gods, does not believe in God but in the ideology of the great man ruling. The Juche calendar amusingly began in 1912, the year Kim Il-sung was born, showing its lineage to that whole satanic world going back 4,000 years.

So, what’s this unification of Korea that Father has been talking about? It’s not something I think about very much, to be honest, but we’ve been praying about it and discussing it. Who decides whether North and South Korea get unified? To me, it’s a real problem if they unify on their present basis. South Korea is one of the most powerful and dynamic economies in the world, while North Korea is the most militarised country with nuclear weapons. If you combine them, what do you get? The ideology behind them has a sort of messianic complex, believing they are the chosen people to rule the world, along with incredible hatred for Japan and America. Who decides if North Korea and South Korea can unify? In reality, no one can decide that by themselves, even if they want to unite.

China is the next-door neighbour. Traditionally, Korea was under Chinese sovereignty, so what does China want? Before Kim Jong-il or any leader of North Korea goes to have talks with the South Koreans or with Trump, he always goes to Beijing to consult with the Chinese leaders because he cannot move without China’s permission. That’s the reality. So, what does China want? China wants the United States out of Korea and out of Asia. There’s no way China would allow North and South Korea to unite while America is still in South Korea, ensuring it remains a liberal democratic country. Before China allows North and South Korea to unite, America has to leave, and from China’s point of view, they would prefer that America withdraws from the whole of Asia, including its oversight of Japan and its connection to Taiwan. The Chinese are willing to wait; they would far prefer to wait than to allow America to be involved anymore.

At the same time, Russia is also involved because it is a neighbour of Korea. A big disaster now is that Russia has been forced into China’s arms because the West has imposed sanctions against Russia and refused to trade with it. With Western companies withdrawing from Russia or not wanting to buy Russian gas or oil, Russia has become isolated and has to sell its gas and oil somewhere, pushing it into China’s arms. Not long after the annexation of Crimea and the sanctions that followed, Putin went to Beijing to establish something there. I think, at the same time, Putin realised that China is different; it’s not a Christian country or a Western country. Russia is basically European, but it has cut off all its ties with the West and Europe, incredibly damaging itself and pushing it into China’s arms.

In the past, the Soviet Union had the upper hand over China because it was much more powerful and became communist long before China. Stalin was like the elder brother to Mao Zedong, but now it’s the other way around. China is much more powerful than Russia. So, what is China going to do? It will get very cheap raw materials from Russia, including oil and gas. As Russia gets weaker, China will likely expand into the Far East of Russia. During the 19th century, there were various conflicts and wars between China and Russia, with Russia defeating China and taking land. Now, I think China is biding its time and will start to expand into the Far East of Russia, essentially gobbling it up. This is not a good sign.

At the same time, the situation in Ukraine has made things worse. The only country that has really benefited from the Russian invasion of Ukraine is Taiwan. If the invasion had gone well, I think China might have moved against Taiwan. However, the Russian military invasion of Ukraine has been a total disaster. It’s much easier to invade a country with which you share a land frontier than it is to invade an island. All the Ukrainians needed were some anti-tank weapons, which they used to knock out tanks, and a few drones to take out the Russian army. It’s much more difficult to invade Taiwan across the sea. It would be much easier for Taiwan to knock out Chinese ships and planes. Therefore, Taiwan has gained a lot of breathing space from what is happening in Ukraine. From a Chinese point of view, they are considering whether the USA will stay or go. China can wait another 10 or 20 years. President Xi would like to take Taiwan while he is still in power, but the Chinese can bide their time until the Americans get bored and withdraw.