Anyone know what's going on? (EDIT: A friend pointed me to this [1]. Not a complete explanation. But an obviously brain dead strategy designed for domestic appeasement, not external goals.)
Surely it's occured to them that maybe Britain wants HK back cause, you know, things are not clear. Not that the British would be that dumb --- but it's an argument that cuts multiple ways none good.
Finally,you gotta believe china sees Russia currently as a giant baby sitting project well considering how that plays well for china.
In general, China is extremely hard-line on the idea that sovereignty is inviolable, and that countries should not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries.
Far from saying that powerful states should dictate borders, China - much more than the US or any other major state - insists that borders cannot be shifted. China hasn't even recognized Russia's annexation of Crimea, despite Russia's closeness with China. If China were really trying to normalize the notion that borders are ephemeral, it would have recognized Crimea as Russian long ago. It hasn't.