Joseph Torigian of the American University described the Chinese government's position on the invasion as a "balancing act," stating that "both countries hold similarly negative views about America’s role in Europe and Asia" but that China would not be willing to put its financial interests at risk to support Russia, especially given that China was "trying to preserve its reputation as a responsible stakeholder."[15] Ryan Hass of the Brookings Institute has argued that "without Russia, the thinking goes, China would be alone to deal with a hostile west determined to obstruct China’s rise," but that the two countries "do not have perfectly aligned interests. China has a lot more to lose than Russia.