This confirms what John has been saying for almost two decades.Locals have been fed a story by Beijing that Moscow was forced into the conflict because Nato, led by Washington, was threatening its borders.
“The US supports Ukraine, so we have to support Russia,” said the museum’s janitor as she dragged a bag of rubbish to the street. “That feels better because that’s the country we know.”
But not everyone is convinced.
“We always say the Americans are bad people, but we never had a conflict with them,” said the taxi driver. “We have had conflicts with Russia though. So no, I don’t trust them.”
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/ ... cy-border/
I hope you are feeling better, John.Dispatch: Despite Xi and Putin’s warm words, distrust reigns on icy border between Russia and China
As fears grow Xi Jinping may help arm Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine, in border town Heihe people know what Russia’s army is capable of
With tears in his eyes, Peter Xiong gestures wildly at the dark diorama behind him. It shows hundreds of people being driven off a cliff as houses burn in the background. Scattered along the road are dead children. Dramatic music, flashing lights and the sound effects of screams all add to the effect.
“Look! That’s what Russia does!” he said.
Mr Xiong is a tourist at Heihe’s Aihui history museum, a memorial to the horrific violence once visited on this remote northern Chinese community by the Cossacks in the 17th century as the tsars pushed to expand imperial Russia’s borders.
But for him this is not just about the past. Amid signs that Beijing is considering providing military assistance to Moscow to help it capture Ukraine, the current relationship between the two neighbours - and their views on conflict - has been thrown into the spotlight.
In this snowy outpost of China, where the Russian flag can be seen fluttering on the other side of the frozen-over Amur River, people know very well what Russia’s army is capable of, given the chance.
“I’m against any invasion,” Mr Xiong added, when asked about the parallels between the 17th century atrocities and those taking place in Ukraine. “History keeps repeating itself.”
