The West is more fearful of a strong China than it is of a strong Russia, Vladimir Putin has suggested.
The Russian President made a series of staggering claims in his bombshell interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson.
The 71-year-old cited China’s rapidly expanding population as a key reason behind Western concerns for the global power.
He said China’s economy has already overtaken the US and continues to develop exponentially.
Vladimir Putin lavished Xi Jinping with praise
TUCKER CARLSON NETWORK ON X
“The West is afraid of strong China more than it fears a strong Russia”, he said.
“Russia has one 150 million people and China has 1.5 billion and its economy is growing by leaps and bounds. Five per cent a year.
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“It used to be even more, but that is enough for China. As Bismarck once put it, potentials are the most important thing, and China’s potential is enormous.
“It is the biggest economy in the world today in terms of purchasing power parity and the size of the economy, it has already overtaken the United States quite a long time ago.”
After launching the brief rant about China’s power, Putin was quick to point out that he did not want to get bogged down in discussing Xi Jinping’s nation and diverted the conversation back onto Russia’s history.
Despite widespread vilifications from the West after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Putin has maintained positive relations with China.
Tucker Carlson joined Vladimir Putin TUCKER CARLSON NETWORK ON X
President of the People's Republic of China Xi JinpingReutersXi Jinping yesterday heralded the Chinese New Year with a pledge to continue its coordination with the Kremlin.
Xi told Putin the two sides should “strengthen strategic coordination and “safeguard the national sovereignty, security and development interests of their respective countries,” according to a readout from China’s Foreign Ministry.
The call was the latest exchange between the two leaders who are seen to have a warm personal relationship.
In his interview on Tucker Carlson’s own network, which was posted to X, formerly Twitter, Putin blamed a US “coup” for his eventual decision to launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
“President Yanukovich agreed to all conditions which included holding an early election he had no chance of winning”, he said.
“Why the coup? Why the victims? Why threaten Crimea? Why threaten the Donbas? That’s what I don’t understand.
“The CIA did its job to complete the coup.
“The political mistake was colossal. All this could be done without victims.”