***INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS***
China doesn’t bash on NK’s nuclear that much CZ…
-China doesn’t want a stronger US ally in the Korean Peninsula (SK)
-War in NK would bring refugees to China’s northeastern territories, the most economically depressed ones in the country.
-NK’s missiles are NOT pointed at China. And China doesn’t perceive NK’s missiles as that much of a threat.
Russia supports Assad because….
-Russia wants to counter the power projection of US and NATO in the Middle East
-Russia wants to stabilize its bordering region with Syria that has majority Muslim population
-Russia has its only Mediterranean naval base in Syria.
Russian people don’t think Russia as state can intervene in US politics (ex: hacking US elections) because…
1) Popular culture narrative that Russia is to blame for everything bad. Makes it less believable when someone says that Russia actually did something bad.
2) attachment to Putin. More than half Russian thinks that international sanctions to Russia is intended to humiliate Russia and weaken its government.
3) perception of US as superpower. That they can counter anything coming their way.