16 December 2025, 21:00
While Kremlin propaganda feeds Russians fairy tales about "great friendship" and "strategic partnership without limits," Chinese media calmly discusses exactly how those limits will be redrawn. Not someday in the distant future—but when Russia collapses. And according to Chinese authors, preparations should begin now.
On December 14, 2025, NetEase—one of China's largest media platforms with hundreds of millions of users—published an article with a telling headline: "China Must Prepare for the Worst: If Russia Collapses, This 7 Million Square Kilometer Territory Must Not Be Lost."
The subject is Russia's Far East. The very region Putin so proudly "pivoted" toward after the West closed its doors to him.
Chicken Scraps for the Dragon
The Chinese author doesn't mince words. The Far East is a "chicken rib" for Russia—enormous but useless, because there's no money for development, no people, and the war in the west is draining the last resources. For China, however, it's a "treasure"—gold, diamonds, oil, gas, timber. Everything the Middle Kingdom desperately needs.
And here's where it gets interesting. The author literally outlines a strategy for soft annexation:
"One should not attempt to seize it by force; this would lead to global encirclement, as happened with Crimea. The smart approach is to be more accommodating, continue investing money and human resources, sign long-term contracts, and support pro-Chinese forces in the region. Nominally independent, but practically dependent on Chinese support."
This isn't conspiracy theory or speculation. It's a direct quote from Chinese media. Spelled out plainly: create economic dependence, introduce the yuan, build infrastructure, bind with loans—and wait for the "political landscape to change."
Historical Accounting
The Chinese, unlike Russians, remember history well. And they count every square kilometer.
The article reminds readers: in 1858, the Treaty of Aigun saw Russia slice off 600,000 square kilometers north of the Amur from a weakened Qing Empire. Two years later, the Convention of Peking added another 400,000—including Vladivostok and Sakhalin. Total: over a million square kilometers.
For Chinese readers, this isn't ancient history. It's an open account. "Unequal treaties"—that's what China officially calls the 19th-century agreements. A formulation implying: the debt remains unpaid.
And now, with Russia mired in war, its GDP "smaller than a single Chinese province," and fewer than "50,000 troops remaining in the Far East—essentially an empty shell"—Chinese media openly writes: time to prepare for collection.
What's Already Been Done
The article lists the achievements of "peaceful penetration" with unconcealed satisfaction.
The Eastern gas pipeline is operational, with a 30-year contract signed. The Heihe highway bridge is open, the Tongjiang railway bridge has been running since 2021. Chinese companies are building roads and ports, extracting resources, cultivating land. The yuan circulates ever more widely—"even small traders accept WeChat Pay." Russia itself created "priority development territories" and invites Chinese investment.
"This looks like business, but in reality—it's binding the relationship," the author honestly summarizes.
The Far East economy is already "becoming part of the system." Gas, electricity, minerals—"all locked into contracts that no one who comes to power can cancel."
No one who comes to power. Remember that phrase.
When the Landscape Changes
The Chinese author discusses Russia's collapse not as a hypothetical possibility, but as a matter of time. And offers practical recommendations.
The Far East population is melting away—the region is becoming "uninhabited territory." Chinese migrants can come to work, but "should be careful not to provoke local resentment." External powers—the US, Japan—will try to intervene, but the Shanghai Cooperation Organization will "diplomatically fence them out."
And the main thesis, repeated several times: "Seven million square kilometers must not be lost."
Must not be lost—meaning they already consider it theirs. Just not yet formalized.
"History teaches us that territorial vacuums are always filled. The Qing Dynasty lost territories because it lacked the strength to defend them. Now China is in a different position—it has economic leverage."
What This Means for Russia
One could dismiss this: just one author on a blogging platform. But NetEase isn't a fringe outlet—it's one of China's largest media conglomerates. And in China, where the internet is strictly censored, such publications don't appear by accident.
When Chinese media openly discusses preparing for Russia's collapse and the division of its territory—that's a signal. Perhaps a trial balloon. Perhaps preparing public opinion. But definitely not coincidence.
For Russians who've been fed mantras about the "pivot to the East" and "reliable Chinese partner" for years, this should be a cold shower. China is not a friend or ally. China is a patient creditor waiting for the debtor's bankruptcy.
"Whose land is this? It's just a name—the vital arteries are in our hands," concludes the Chinese article.
The vital arteries. In their hands. Already.
And Russian propaganda continues spinning tales of "great friendship." One wonders: how many square kilometers is that friendship worth?