You can’t reasonably argue that China is more woke than Russia. It hasn’t invaded any of its neighbors. Given the recent changes in the Russian regime, it probably isn’t much more repressive, either. And yet, the extreme right admires Putin, and identifies China as the ultimate enemy. Why?
Two reasons–one legitimate, and one not. The legitimate reason is that China represents far more of an economic threat than the Russians do, even though Chinese prosperity brings opportunities for American businesses and workers as well as challenges. The illegitimate one is racist–the right views Putin, a white Christian, as one of us, but sees the Chinese as a totally alien culture which must be crushed, because it cannot be understood or accommodated.