korrents

What Sarah Paine thinks about China

@sarah-paine · 26 positions · 0 changes of mind

Historian of maritime and continental empires who taught strategy at the U.S. Naval War College for twenty-four years.

Sarah Paine did not write this page.

We collected these quotes from things they published elsewhere, and every quote links to where it was said. They have no account here and have not endorsed this site. Quotes are word for word; the short line under each one is our own restatement, not their wording. Their own site. Is this you? Claim it or ask us to remove it. Or tell us what is wrong here.

9 dated positions, 2026, in their own words. Our reading of what Sarah Paine has said — not written or endorsed by them.

  1. Our readingRussia has never had a commerce-driven economy, and Xi Jinping has been privileging China's crony sector over its private sector.

    Their wordsAnd Russia's never had a commerce-driven economy. China much more so under Deng Xiaoping, but recently Xi Jinping has been privileging the crony sector over the private sector and neither one has stable government institutions.

    ↗Sarah Paine - Why Putin and Xi can't escape geographyyoutube.com 2nd of 26 in this recording

    governmentRussia

    Interesting

  3. Our readingChina and Russia have maritime ambitions without understanding what a maritime paradigm actually requires, and neither one has the prerequisites.

    Their wordsSo, China and Russia certainly have maritime ambitions, but I'm not clear they actually understand what goes into a full maritime paradigm.

    ↗Sarah Paine - Why Putin and Xi can't escape geographyyoutube.com 3rd of 26 in this recording

    Russia

    Interesting

  5. Our readingChina's claims to its historical lands rest on the two dynasties in which the Han were themselves a subjugated people.

    Their wordsAnd what's fascinating is today when China claims whatever its historical lands are, they either choose the Mongol Yuan Dynasty or the Manchu Qing Dynasty when the Han were subjugated people.

    ↗Sarah Paine - Why Putin and Xi can't escape geographyyoutube.com 5th of 26 in this recording

    Interesting

  7. Our readingA continental army's first mission is to keep the regime in power, not to defend the border — which is what the People's Liberation Army is for.

    Their wordsPurpose number one of an army in this world is you protect the ruling machine. So, if you think about the People's Liberation Army, it's uh goal number one, uh mission number one is to keep the Communist Party in power.

    ↗Sarah Paine - Why Putin and Xi can't escape geographyyoutube.com 6th of 26 in this recording

    Interesting

  9. Our readingRussia and China are ringed by the most dysfunctional places on the planet because their own security paradigm manufactures failing states.

    Their wordsOne, you're surrounding yourself by failing states. You can look at Russia and China and they're surrounded by some of the most dysfunctional places on the planet and you go, "Gee whiz, are they unlucky or they complicit?"

    ↗Sarah Paine - Why Putin and Xi can't escape geographyyoutube.com 10th of 26 in this recording

    Russia

    Interesting

  11. Our readingThere is no counsel in the continental world on when to stop taking territory, which is why Chinese and Russian empires keep overextending and imploding.

    Their wordsAnd it turns out that there's been a tendency over the course of China's and Russia's long histories to overextend and this helps account for the implosions of various empires and dynasties.

    ↗Sarah Paine - Why Putin and Xi can't escape geographyyoutube.com 11th of 26 in this recording

    Russia

    Interesting

  13. Our readingThe Belt and Road cannot beat the sea, because the land route is not only dearer but requires controlling the most unstable places on earth end to end.

    Their wordsAlso, not only is it far cheaper to send things by sea, it is far more secure. If you're going to run the Belt Road thing, uh or it's it's the belt part of it, the land part, um you've got to control the whole thing end to end. You're going through some of the most unstable places there are.

    ↗Sarah Paine - Why Putin and Xi can't escape geographyyoutube.com 17th of 26 in this recording

    Interesting

  15. Our readingThe seas are open to China only in peacetime, and that is a fact of its geography rather than anything anyone is doing to it.

    Their wordsAnd also, for China, with its geographical setup as it is, uh the seas are going to be open to it only in peacetime. In wartime, this has nothing to do with anyone doing anything to them. It's just facts.

    ↗Sarah Paine - Why Putin and Xi can't escape geographyyoutube.com 18th of 26 in this recording

    Interesting

  17. Our readingNo country has benefited more from the maritime order than China, which rejoined the family of nations under Deng Xiaoping.

    Their wordsAnd if you think about China, it has benefited more than any other country from rejoining the family of nations in this maritime world under Deng Xiaoping.

    ↗Sarah Paine - Why Putin and Xi can't escape geographyyoutube.com 26th of 26 in this recording

    Interesting