CIA Director William Burns said Thursday that the intelligence he leads has made Chinese President Xi Jinping a bit more realistic as a result of the war in Ukraine, but it would be a mistake to underestimate the commitment of Beijing and Moscow. Against their joint partnership, reports Reuters.

Speaking at a foreign policy event at Georgetown University in Washington, William Burns also said China’s president retained serious ambitions for Taiwan and warned that a conflict over the island would be “deeply regrettable” for all parties involved.

China, which signed an “unrestricted” partnership with Russia last year, has refrained from condemning the invasion of Ukraine, even as Western countries led by the United States have imposed broad sanctions against Moscow.

The CIA director, who recently visited Ukraine where he met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyi, however, said Xi Jinping was likely surprised and displeased by what he called the Russian military’s poor performance. Burns added that the friendship between Russia and China is not limitless.

Speaking about the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Burns estimated that the next six months will be “critical” for Ukraine, where Moscow has made significant progress in recent weeks.

In his speech, Burns also touched on the problems of the Middle East. He said that the government in Tehran is increasingly concerned about the domestic situation and mentioned the courage of Iranian women. He expressed concern about the prospect of increased violence between Israelis and Palestinians.

(source: Agerpres)