Vladimir Putin’s main ally, Chinese leader Xi Jinping, said on Wednesday (21) that his country needs to “focus on preparing for wars”.
He did not directly comment on the Russian escalation in the Ukraine conflict, with the planned mobilization of 300,000 men, annexation of occupied territories and an explicit threat of the use of nuclear weapons against NATO countries (military alliance led by the US).
But the phrase occurred on the same day of this development, in a speech by Xi to the country’s military leadership, which sheds light on the ambiguity of the Chinese position in the environment of Cold War 2.0 that is waging with the US with the support of Moscow.
“It is necessary to consciously summarize and apply reform experiences [militar]master the new situation and task requirements, to focus on preparing for wars,” the leader said, according to Xinhua news agency.
Earlier, the Chinese Foreign Ministry had issued a statement commenting on the worsening crisis in Europe in which it repeated the call for an immediate ceasefire, but again avoided condemning Putin for the February invasion.
The context between the two allies is obvious. The war in Ukraine began 20 days after Putin met Xi in person for the first time since the pandemic, in Beijing. Now, his turn comes six days after a new meeting with the Chinese, in Uzbekistan.
At the February summit, the two expressed “unlimited friendship” but focused on political-economic cooperation. On Monday (19), Russia and China announced that they would establish a closer protocol of military exchange, with more patrols and joint exercises.
If Putin has in his opacity a great asset in the conduct of his politics, Xi manages to overcome him. The Chinese is not interested in an ally too weakened in its clash with the West and the sanctions regime that he fears will one day be applied against the communist dictatorship he has commanded since 2012.
On the other hand, a quick victory, such as the West itself believed Putin would have in Ukraine, did not come. The continuation of the conflict strategically displeases Xi, as with it the argument of the use of force in its own demands, such as the promised absorption of Taiwan, has lost its luster.
At the same time, the Russian was the first to support the Chinese in their protests against US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the island that the Beijing regime sees as part of China.
In addition, there is the global issue. China is more intertwined with the West, and has an economy ten times the size of Russia. Putin may have nuclear weapons and military strength, albeit now in jeopardy, but Xi is the West’s true strategic rival — the US has repeated this in documents since 2017, and NATO has enthroned the Asian country in that category by reviewing its policy this year. .
This leaves speculation about what Xi actually said to Putin in Uzbekistan. Before the meeting, the Russian said he “understood the concerns” of his colleague, and would “explain his position”. Public reprimand came only from Indian Narendra Modi, who has good relations with Moscow but is a US ally in the Indo-Pacific group that opposes Beijing.
A single sentence at a military event may not mean much, let alone an alliance under the shadow of a Third World War, but it can also give a clue to the vision of a world in rival blocks that has been taking shape under Xi, who will be reappointed. for an unprecedented third term ahead of the country in October.
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