The only way to survive in the modern world is to have something others don't have.

Russia has oil, but so do others. The west can sanction Russia, but it dare not sanction China.

Have something that others inextricably depend on. China has done a great job of becoming indispensable.

If you piss the US off, you lose access to Intel, Google, and a host of other technology suppliers, big and small.

Just a nugget from a chain of thought I've been mulling over.