It's a worthy objective to try to drive a wedge between Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, but at this point they're basically Siamese twins, you're not going to be able to pull those guys apart. This is a ten-year effort to stitch themselves to one another—driven primarily by Xi Jinping personally—to make Vladimir Putin his junior partner in a new axis.

Matthew Pottinger

Matthew F. Pottinger is an American former journalist and U.S. Marine Corps officer who served as the United States Deputy National Security Advisor from September 22, 2019 until January 7, 2021. Previously serving as Asia Director on the National Security Council since 2017, his tenure was unusual among senior aides serving under President Trump for its length, given an administration marked by high turnover. Pottinger worked to develop the Trump administration's policies towards China.He submitted his resignation on the afternoon of January 6, in the wake of the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol. He left the White House the following morning.

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