I really hope there is more gamesmanship going on behind the scenes at his office than ‘this doesn’t add up’. But I’m a little skeptical because just game this thing out:
The west claims to 100% support Ukraine yet so far have only done enough to be sure they can stay in the fight. Not enough to outright win. What do outside observers do with that info? If I was China I would absolutely see this as hesitation on the part of the west and recognize that until the west actually does go all in, this will be a source of instability that I can build on to increase my influence in the world. So of course I’m going to play both sides as much as I can get away with, at least until there’s a indication that the west’s stance on this is changing.
I’d even say no more than two properties. Make people apply for a permit to own more than that and put extreme limits on the reasons they could be successful depending on the current market.