The image of Chinese reporter Lu Yuguang embedded in the Russian army covering the Mariupol bombing is striking: he stands in the rubble, clad in a helmet and flak jacket, the only foreign journalist on the front lines with exclusive access the Russian side of the fighting.
This rare access has raised questions about the nature of China’s relationship with Russia and whether China’s special ties to Russia enable it to influence Russia where other countries could not.
Author of the Guardian Guide Tanya Branigan told Nosheen Iqbal that although China and Russia share strategic interests, their economic interests diverge, and that Chinese President Xi Jinping could have some influence over Russian President Vladimir Putin here – should China choose to exercise it.
Photo: Alexei Druzhinin/AP
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