The Atlantic Alliance? A relic of the past employing Cold War tactics. Word from Xi Jinping, who wasted no time in dismissing accusations from NATO sources that are troubling him: that of making his own and amplifying Russiaproduced fake news about the war in Ukraine. Substantiated allegations: just follow the Chinese news, very proKremlin and its war of aggression, although not called by its real name. And remember that China is careful not to condemn the Russian military attack on Kyiv in international forums (primarily the United Nations).
So what, according to Beijing, is NATO’s fault? I invited all states of the world, including China, to support the international order and, therefore, Ukraine’s right not to be attacked. A reminder that puts Xi in trouble for a very simple reason: the Chinese leader has forged an ironclad alliance with Vladimir Putin, but at the same time professes to deny he side with him when it shows a lack of respect for sovereignty and territoriality means integrity from another country. While Putin is doing this, the two are not dating, and indeed Beijing is struggling to get them to stay together. We are the ones, says their spokesman at the EU who have been working constructively, objectively and impartially since the beginning of the Ukraine crisis (crisis, please note, not Russian war of aggression) to facilitate peace talks, end conflicts and avoid a serious one humanitarian crisis. NATO, on the other hand, had “used Cold War tactics to provoke a blockade rivalry.”
In short, Putin invades Ukraine, proclaims in longwinded tones that he intends to behead the “Nazi leadership, razes entire cities and sends millions of refugees fleeing to Europe (i.e. waging a real war, which we define could be hot), but it is NATO that, by helping Ukraine defend itself, is demonstrating a Cold War mentality and provoking rivalry. A beautiful impartiality, no doubt about that. Meanwhile, Beijing is supporting Putin (and of course its own economy) by attacking the “useless” sanctions against Moscow, because the only way is dialogue: it’s a shame that the RussianUkrainian negotiations have been going on for weeks without a result, and not because NATO should face the Cold War, but above all because Putin is not interrupting his hot war.
Behind these skirmishes over Ukraine is the much longer tugofwar between China and the West. The Communist Party’s People’s Daily newspaper wrote yesterday that “China is tired of taking lessons from a group of countries that represent a small and less and less important part of the world”: This is a pillar of Xi’s international political action, the Struggle against the American and European hegemonic role in the world expressed through the G7 and NATO. China is striving to take its place, and it does so by offering itself as the leader of a global alliance of smaller countries that are (in words) alike, and using the constant invitation to dialogue and moderation in its propaganda. Values Xi is careful not to apply inside China (where any opposition is repressed “in the best national interest”), showing perfect harmony with his ally Putin.
in summary. First point: It is not at all true that NATO is a relic of the past. On the contrary, it is used in the present to evade aggression by imperialists masquerading as victims of nonexistent threats. In fact, imperialist Putin strikes where NATO does not exist. Second point: Anyone in the West who relies on China as a mediator is wrong, because Xi wants to save the very rich Chinese business with the West, but he will certainly not give up the very close ties with a Russia that he wants to dominate soon. Xi joins India to call for a truce in Ukraine, but keeps favorable peace terms in Moscow in mind and publicly (he did so with British Prime Minister Johnson yesterday) dismisses Western calls to pressure Putin: he will never be impartial . Finally, the past and present history of the Chinese CCP teaches that its leadership, obsessed with fear of losing power, lives immersed in the Cold War mentality and, for propaganda purposes, lays the same charge on Westerners. Unfortunately, he always finds someone willing to believe it.