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China

Will Xi play ball with Trump on Ukraine?

US president-elect Donald Trump has invited China’s president Xi Jinping to his inauguration on January 20 in a surprise move which appears to be part of a plan to involve Beijing in ceasefire negotiations in Ukraine.

Chinese whispers

Beijing has, in recent years, upgraded its strategic partnerships and expanded military exchanges and joint exercises with countries including Russia, Pakistan, and Iran. But, as Patricia M. Kim writing recently in Foreign Affairs points out, these partnerships are still a far cry from US alliances which involve mutual defence clauses, extensive troop-basing agreements, and joint military capabilities.