Transcript of Press TV interview on Chinese military exercises

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Transcript submitted by a reader

https://www.urmedium.net/c/presstv/133199

PressTV: 0:00
For more on that ,we’re joined by independent international affairs analyst Gilbert Doctorow who’s with us from Brussels. Mr. Doctorow, welcome to the program. First of all, how do you read into these recent drills carried out by Beijing, specifically given all the tensions that already exist in the global political scene?

Gilbert Doctorow, PhD:
[muted start] –the global political scene, because I agree with that formulation of how we interpret the military exercises. I do not take at face value Beijing’s remarks that these are to frustrate the president of Taiwan for his remarks recently that are condemnatory towards China, and condemning him for independence policies.

Now, these present exercises, I would link directly to the situation in and around Iran. But my point is, the question has been raised among commentators in the United States, in groups that I participate in, how would Russia and China react if the United States and Israel were to make bombing raids on Iran? And it’s generally viewed that Russia will not react directly, because it’s very occupied in this European conflict today.

1:27
As regards China, the situation is rather different. China would be much more affected economically by any attacks on Iran, which has a consequence of the cessation of shipments of oil from the Gulf and from Iran in particular, to China, which as I understand, receives 30 percent of its oil imports from Iran at present. China has a way of reacting, and we are watching it right now. Just as the Americans positioning their B-2 bombers on the island of Diego Garcia, seemingly prepared for attacking either the Houthis with massive bombing or Iran to bomb its nuclear facilities. I think that what China’s now doing is a direct signal to Washington that if you should proceed to attack Iran, you will lose Taiwan the next day.

2:25
This is a serious threat. The United States may have plans to fight several wars at once, but I don’t think they’re ready to fight on three fronts, the Iranian front, the Chinese front, and frankly speaking, the Russian front, because you can imagine very well that the visit of the Chinese foreign minister that’s ongoing in Moscow with Lavrov, with Putin — they are discussing precisely this question of how to respond to an American attack on Iran. The Chinese [have said what they would do]. I think the Russians have the ability to do something massive in their ongoing war with Ukraine, possibly even to strike one or another of the European countries that are providing the basis of support for Ukraine. They haven’t done so. That would be an escalation.

3:16
But if the United States goes rogue and attacks Iran, then I think all bets are off. We will see a response; that will be a military response from China and something significant from Russia.

PressTV:
Okay, we’re going to leave it there. That was independent international affairs analyst Gilbert Doctorow joining us from Brussels, and also brings us to an end here on this edition of PressTV’s world news.

3:42
Thanks for watching. We’ll see you next time.

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Published by gilbertdoctorow

Gilbert Doctorow's latest book, "War Diaries. The Russia-Ukraine War, 2022-2023" is a unique contribution to literature on the war thanks to the author's reports on the Russian home front written during his periodic visits to St Petersburg at a time when Russia no longer issued visas and nearly all Western journalists had left the country. Doctorow's two-volume "Memoirs of a Russianist" published in 2020 also constitutes a category of its own, consisting largely of diary entries rather than reminiscences written decades later.. Volume 2 focuses on the community of 50,000 expatriate managers working and living in Moscow during the 1990s, about which none of his peers has yet to write. Gilbert Doctorow is a professional Russia watcher and actor in Russian affairs going back to 1965. He is a magna cum laude graduate of Harvard College (1967), a past Fulbright scholar, and holder of a Ph.D. with honors in history from Columbia University (1975). After completing his studies, Mr. Doctorow pursued a business career focused on the USSR and Eastern Europe. For twenty-five years he worked for US and European multinationals in marketing and general management with regional responsibility. From 1998-2002, Doctorow served as the Chairman of the Russian Booker Literary Prize in Moscow. During the 2010-2011 academic year, he was a Visiting scholar of the Harriman Institute, Columbia University. Mr. Doctorow is a long-time resident of Brussels.

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One thought on “Transcript of Press TV interview on Chinese military exercises”

  1. I believe that is a very cogent analysis. IF the US opens up a new front, it is to China’s benefit. The US can’t stop them taking taiwan today, right now (they can make a lot of noise, but rattle the sabres is all they will do). They can’t stop them even if they closed up shop in Ukiestan either, but I’d digress… IF the US is embroiled in ukiestan, at the same time they’re lobbing bombs at the houthi’s, helping israhell wipe out the palestinians, AND kicking sand in Iran’s face, they will be stretched waaaay too thin. Even the most jingoistic perfumed prince of the potomac has to know that’s beyond the pale… yet if I was a chinese planner, I would expect it, and take advantage of the situation as well. Make a move on Iran, we take Taiwan. Over in a day. China only has to buy more russian oil, while the US pretends it doesn’t need micro-processors. Bahahaha! Gawd our leaders are stupid!

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