“One of the assessments is that Putin acted very impulsively because of his imperial ambitions, and he has his own worldview. Xi, I think, he's much more pragmatic. He's very cautious. I don't think he's hot-headed enough and he's not a risk taker, and an invasion against Taiwan is one of the biggest acts that he would do. It's a very high-wire act and the chances of success are not clear.”
Director of the UC Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation at the University of California, San Diego