Xi paying ‘attention' to Russia's poor military performance in Ukraine: CIA Director Burns

In an interview with Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), United States’ Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director William Burns said that no other foreign leader “has paid more careful attention to that war and Russia’s poor military performance than Xi Jinping has” as the Chinese Premier thinks of his ambitions in Taiwan and elsewhere. Burns added that it's been interesting to watch the Chinese leadership's reaction to the war in Ukraine, as China's leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin have formed a close partnership over recent years. "A few weeks before Putin launched his invasion in Ukraine when they met at the Winter Olympics in Beijing, they proclaimed a friendship without limits," Burns was quoted as saying. "...It turns out that there actually are some limits to that partnership, at least in terms of President Xi's reluctance to supply the kind of military assistance to Putin that he's asked for in the course of the war in Ukraine." Burns added that the U.S. does not see any indication the Russians "are serious... about a real negotiation" with Ukraine, reported Kyiv Independent. 

Burns said that he would not “underestimate for a moment the commitment between the Chinese and Russian leaderships to that partnership”. Highlighting the current status of both the Ukrainian and Russian armies, Burns said, “The Russian military is badly battered right now. The Ukrainian military is determined to keep up the pressure, build on their battlefield successes of the last several months. But they also need time to refit and resupply.” Burns also expressed concerns about the “nuclear sabre-rattling” done by Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying that they “don't see any clear evidence today of plans to use tactical nuclear weapons”.

Burns on China’s ambition in Taiwan and Indo-Pacific

Tensions between Taiwan and China have been high ever since top US officials visited the island in a show of solidarity with the leaders of Taiwan. The US has sent military aid to Taiwan under its agreement which China stated as a violation of US-Sino agreements. When asked on the timeline of China’s plan for Taiwan in the future, Burns replied, “I'm not sure I would measure it in terms of months or a year, but I would not underestimate for a moment, nor do any of my colleagues here at CIA underestimate, his (Xi Jinping) ambition to control Taiwan, in other words, to unify Beijing and Taiwan on the PRC's terms.” 

Burns told PBS that he believed that Xi meant to use force to take Taiwan. Burns also said that Xi has instructed his military leadership to “be ready by 2027 to launch a war”. “The honest answer is, the further you get into this decade, the greater the risks of a military conflict,” Burns added.