[Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping at a meeting in Brazil in 2019. (Photo by= Reuters)]

China should not become "too closely aligned" with Russia following the invasion of Ukraine, the head of UK cyber-intelligence GCHQ has warned. Sir Jeremy Fleming said China's long-term interests are not served by an alliance with Moscow, BBC reported.
 
In a rare public address during a visit to Australia, Sir Jeremy also said Russia had "massively misjudged" the situation in Ukraine. He said Vladimir Putin's advisers are "afraid to tell him the truth". Sir Jeremy said China's aspirations to become a leading player on the global stage were "not well served by a close alliance with a regime that wilfully and illegally ignores" international rules. The speech at the Australian National University in Canberra comes after Downing Street said Boris Johnson had a "frank and candid" discussion with China's President Xi Jinping last week. He said the Kremlin regards China in the current crisis as a supplier of weapons, technology, and a potential market for its oil and gas. But Sir Jeremy suggested President Xi has a "more nuanced" view of the relationship.

Meanwhile, echoing comments from US and Ukrainian officials, the GCHQ boss said Mr. Putin "underestimated the strength of the coalition his actions would galvanize. "He underplayed the economic consequences of the sanctions regime. He over-estimated the abilities of his military to secure a rapid victory."