I see your point, but I will say you cannot hold China and Russia to the same standard. You’re absolutely correct that China has done some sus shit over the years but to say

Putin was leading a defeated and looted Russia, he was groveling because Russia was weak and he had no choice.

Okay I understand and somewhat agree, because you’re right Russia had been essentially taken over by the west and we shouldn’t downplay the role Putin played in fixing it, but Russia was already developed as a nation and already had somewhat of a roadmap to a developed future thanks to the Soviets. Now compare that with China who for the longest time was one of if not THE poorest nations on the planet before cooperating with the west, had no roadmap other than a history of dynastic control, being invaded by the west, invasion of Japan, civil war. Just an extremely harsh situation for the Chinese that is much more comparable to the Soviet experience than it is to modern Russias experience. It’s much more understandable for China to want to cooperate with the west than modern Russia would. The Chinese situation is more like the Soviets taking lend lease materials than it is comparable to modern Russia groveling to be let into the imperialism club.

Now he no longer does that.

He did it until he couldn’t anymore because he’s a lib and has always been a lib at heart.