Though Russia and the West are in a face-off over Ukraine, it seems that Russians aren’t interested in China pushing it up for expansion in its own vested goals and interests. Otherwise, why would Xi meet Putin ahead of the Beijing Winter Olympics? China would benefit from Russia’s deprivation and dependence Currently, its economic condition favours the larger Chinese agenda and diplomacy of debt-trap development to make them subservient and inconclusive in tackling real-time areas of crisis and concerns.
US President Joe Biden duly understands this aspect and refrains from indulging in provocations that might build up to a battle. I do maintain that both sides should refrain from skirmishes and escalations, which would only worsen the ties between the USA and Russians, leaving them both in the lurch, with an aggressive China keeping a close eye on the developments to sharply react and retort.
Xi sounds optimistic about testing the waters of the NATO force intelligently by pitching one against the other. Let the time decide who stands where. As for the Russian drills in Belarus, they were a checkmate technique for the American dominance and for Ukraine to fend for itself.