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surrounding them with US-friendly states who then get military supportAs is the standard playbook of dictator/authoritarian apologism, you completely reverse causality here and deny non-authoritarian countries self-determination. The US isn't "executing a strategy" or "surrounding [Russia/China]", it's that Russia and China are engaging in terrifying behavior, attacking and undermining their surrounding countries, promoting a pure might-makes-right and historical grievance narrative, making vast claims over neighboring countries sovereignty with their "spheres of influence" and China's ludicrous ocean claims, and on and on. And as a direct result their neighbors are banging on the door to get into Western security agreements they see as being able to defend them! NATO was falling apart. European military capability has massively decayed. Much of Europe was completely content to make occasional noises but otherwise pursue economic integration above all else. What has changed everything has been Russia and China's actions.
Taking that and reversing it into a "woe is me why is everyone so mean" story is gross.
>While I, personally, agree that it would be stupid I can certainly see that situation from the perspective of a hypothetical Chinese military planner. A destabilised Russia would potentially have a colour revolution leading to a US encirclement on 3 compass points. China would therefore have no choice but to support the war effort against Ukraine.
Here's an alternative thought: Russia just fucking LEAVES UKRAINE. Stops committing mass murder, rape, genocide, child abduction, theft, purposeful destruction of civilian infrastructure, and war crimes in general. That China NOT invade an independent democratic country like Taiwan. That they stick to international treaties and norms and focus on making themselves rich and happy. That ever occur to you? Apparently not. Hopefully "Chinese military planners" aren't quite so evil and blind but of course in dictatorships that tends to not be the case.