China does not approve of the invasion of Ukraine, but continues to lean in favor of Russia, even if it means further irritation of the West. The friendship between Beijing and Moscow is “strong as a rock, and the prospects for future cooperation are enormous,” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi assured at his annual press conference. His speech was eagerly awaited as Beijing was taken by surprise by a full-scale invasion launched by Vladimir Putin and became increasingly embarrassed.
President Xi Jinping welcomed Vladimir Putin to Beijing on February 4 and publicly stated that their friendship was “limitless.” Tied to partnering with Moscow, Beijing has refrained from condemning Russia’s intervention in Ukraine, refusing to even talk about an “invasion.”
United against the United States
China’s attitude towards the conflict has been criticized in several countries. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Monday that China is in a “choice time”, urging Beijing to end its tacit political and economic support for the war. “Beijing is always calibrating its response to a rapidly evolving situation as it seeks to balance its perceived fundamental support for sovereignty and non-interference with its growing strategic focus on Russia as a partner in resisting American global leadership,” the American leader said. analytical center Eurasia Group.
Supporting Wang Yi in Moscow is giving Vladimir Putin a healthy boost as Russia faces a flurry of sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union. The Chinese foreign minister said the causes of the “situation in Ukraine” were “complicated” and did not happen overnight, echoing Moscow’s cited grievances over NATO’s eastward expansion that would trigger war.
Beijing, in unison with Moscow, denounces American alliances and leadership. The “real goal” of the US strategy in the Indo-Pacific is to form a version of NATO in the region, denounced Wang Yi, for whom this action is doomed to failure.
De-escalation
In a difficult balance, China also seeks to be seen as a responsible great power and says it is ready to “continue to play a constructive role in advancing peace and negotiations.” But Beijing is unlikely to be willing or even able to force Moscow to agree to any major compromises.
China is calling for de-escalation but refusing to condemn or impose sanctions on Russia and defends its broader security interests by blaming the crisis on NATO’s eastward expansion. This stance reflects a joint statement by Putin and Xi at the Feb. 4 summit, and the Chinese system cannot deviate from it until Xi Jinping issues new guidelines. But Xi Jinping is unlikely to reverse the move as he values closer Sino-Russian ties, and to do so would be to admit a mistake and thus weaken his national political stance ahead of the 20th Party Congress this fall. »