The Russian Mutiny Through a Chinese Lens
What does the 8th century have to do with the road not taken in Moscow? Perhaps a lot, in the eyes of Xi Jinping
Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang dynasty fleeing An Lushan through mountain passes.
Photographer: Pictures from History/Universal Images Group EditorialOne of the more notable observations from this past weekend of Russian chaos emerged from Chinese social media. It doesn’t go anywhere toward explaining what happened on the road to Moscow, but it does say a lot about the way ordinary Chinese regard the chaos in their immense neighbor and ally. That popular perspective will likely factor into how Xi Jinping recalibrates his “friendship without limits” with Vladimir Putin.
On Saturday, in the middle of the mess, Eunice Yoon, CNBC’s China bureau chief, tweeted a sampling of Chinese commentary about Yevgeny Prigozhin’s mutiny, including the results of an online poll. The question: Which historical event do you think is most like what’s happening in Russia now? The answer: The An-Shi Disturbance.