The Chinese media repeated the Russian version of the war in Ukraine, avoiding blaming Moscow for the invasion and feigning sympathy for President Vladimir Putin’s point of view.
It comes after President Xi Jinping was asked on Sunday to supply military hardware after Russian forces began “running out” of weapons during their low-key incursion into Ukraine, according to US intelligence.
China on Monday accused Washington of spreading “disinformation” about Beijing’s role in the war in Ukraine by not directly responding to US media reports about Russia’s request for help.
Beijing has struggled to maintain a façade of neutrality despite its refusal to support or condemn its ally’s invasion of Ukraine, and has repeatedly accused the United States and NATO’s “eastward expansion” of escalating tensions.
This sentiment is reflected in state-run newspapers and television, as well as social media in China’s tightly controlled news environment.
When Putin announced the attack on Ukraine on February 24, the official Chinese news agency Xinhua said it was a “military operation” and Moscow had “no intention” of occupying Ukrainian territory.
Days later, state broadcaster CCTV repeated Russia’s false claim that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had left Kyiv, a story that was quickly repeated by other domestic media outlets.
Some Chinese reports also speak of a surge of “neo-Nazi” ideology among the Ukrainian army and population, a claim supported by Putin.
Russia has turned to China for military supplies and assistance to aid its hesitant invasion of Ukraine, US officials warned, promising “consequences” if Beijing tries to “bail out” the Putin regime (file image)
This group shot shows destroyed Russian armored vehicles in the town of Bucha, west of Kyiv, on March 4, 2022.
The wreckage of a military plane is visible after it was fired on by Ukrainian forces on the 10th day of Russia’s attack on Ukraine in Chernihiv, Ukraine last week.
In the picture, Ukrainian soldiers knocked out a Russian tank.
A directive to the state-owned publication, circulated online last month, appears to instruct it not to publish posts that are unfavorable to Russia or contain pro-Western content.
State media reports on Ukraine eschew terms such as “invasion”, instead describing the situation as “conflict” or “fighting”.
“It’s not a fight to find the right message,” Justyna Szczudlik, a China analyst at the Polish Institute of International Affairs, told AFP.
“China deliberately uses very vague language,” she added, noting that this was done to reduce diplomatic risks in relations with Western countries.
Officials also dismissed the term “invasion” when questioned by foreign journalists, accusing them of biased coverage while making controversial claims that China respects each country’s sovereignty but does not take sides.
The vehement condemnation of the war at the opening of the Beijing Winter Paralympic Games was not broadcast on Chinese television.
And the rights holders of the English Premier League did not broadcast matches in early March, knowing that the players were supposed to show solidarity with Ukraine.
Under a flurry of support from China, netizens are showing sympathy for Russia.
On the Twitter-like Chinese social network Weibo, pro-Putin hashtags were allowed to circulate, along with admiring comments about his courage and calls for Ukrainians to surrender.
In contrast, articles alleging that state-run media were using Russian propaganda were removed as “false information”.
“Like any other country, China … puts its own security interests above all else,” said Richard Giazi, an expert at the Hague Center for Strategic Studies.
“In this security calculation, stable and predictable ties with Russia are critical,” he added.
Furious condemnation of war at the opening of the Beijing Winter Paralympic Games was not broadcast on Chinese television
The media has also begun openly promoting Russian conspiracy theories. “There is no smoke without fire,” wrote state-run tabloid Global Times, echoing Russian claims that US-funded biological labs in Ukraine are experimenting with bat coronaviruses.
The media has also begun openly promoting Russian conspiracy theories.
“There is no smoke without fire,” wrote state-run tabloid Global Times, echoing Russian claims that US-funded biological labs in Ukraine are experimenting with bat coronaviruses.
He did not report comments from Washington that the allegations were “outright lies” which have been refuted.
It comes after U.S. intelligence agencies arrived late Sunday to warn their allies of reports China may be preparing to help Russia with military hardware and aid after Putin’s army was defeated in his ill-conceived invasion.
Putin had expected to launch a lightning offensive against the country that would last only a few days, but despite stubborn opposition, he is still fighting almost three weeks later.
This led to the depletion of stocks of some weapons, such as guided missiles, and more than expected losses of tanks, armored vehicles, helicopters and aircraft.
US officials, speaking anonymously, say the Kremlin has turned to Beijing for help replenishing its military supplies.
Officials did not say what exactly Putin’s apparatchiks were asking for or when the request was made. Western countries are constantly supplying Ukraine with anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons.
Moscow may also be asking Beijing for help to circumvent Western sanctions over the invasion, prompting U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan, who is due to meet his Chinese counterpart in Rome today, to warn Beijing against helping Russia, saying what are the “consequences” of such a move.
“We will make sure that neither China nor anyone else can compensate Russia for these losses,” Sullivan told NBC ahead of the meeting.
“As for specific ways to do this, I’m not going to state all this publicly, but we will report it to China privately, as we have already done and will continue to do.”
Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, which he expected to last only a few days with limited casualties, is heading into its third week with heavy casualties on both sides, as Moscow is showing early signs it’s ready to end hostilities, saying there has been “substantial progress” in the peace talks
Destroyed Russian armored vehicles in the city of Bucha west of Kyiv
Drone footage released by the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Saturday shows a convoy of tanks and infantry fighting vehicles ambushed while advancing in the Kiev region. Russian troops are closing in on the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, according to British officials.
A Russian armored personnel carrier burns among damaged and abandoned light trucks after fighting in Kharkov, Ukraine, at the start of the February 27 invasion.
President Biden sends his National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan to talk with a senior Chinese official in Rome on Monday. The meeting comes amid rising fears that China is ramping up Russian disinformation in the war in Ukraine.
Russia has tightened cooperation with the communist government of Xi Jinping after both countries came under heavy pressure from the West on human rights and a host of other issues.
But China has accused the US of spreading “misinformation” in connection with the reports. Without directly addressing the alleged request, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said, “The US is spreading misinformation against China on the Ukraine issue with malicious intent.”
US officials also accuse China of spreading Russian disinformation that could serve as a pretext for chemical or biological weapons attacks by Vladimir Putin’s forces in Ukraine.
The White House said earlier that US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan would arrive in Rome on Monday to meet with top Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi.
The White House said the talks will focus on the direct impact of Russia’s war against Ukraine on regional and global security.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has put China in a delicate position with its two biggest trading partners: the US and the European Union. China needs access to these markets, but it is also making gestures in support of Moscow, joining Russia in declaring friendship without borders.
The Chinese abstained from a UN vote condemning Russia and criticized economic sanctions against Moscow.
He expressed his support for peace talks and offered his services as a mediator despite questions about his neutrality and meager experience in mediating international conflicts.
But questions remain about how far Beijing will go to push back the alliance and put its own economy at risk.