A strategic ally of Vladimir Putin’s government, China found itself in a complicated diplomatic situation with the Russian attack on Ukraine.
At the United Nations Security Council, in which Beijing has a permanent seat alongside Moscow and the western trio of Washington, London and Paris, the country’s ambassador only asked everyone involved in the crisis to calm down.
“The situation in Ukraine is at a critical juncture and China is very concerned. All parties must exercise caution and avoid further escalation of tensions. We believe that the door to a peaceful solution is not closed,” Ambassador Zhang Jung said.
He did not mention the word Russia, or war, or invasion, and did not comment on the recognition of the rebel regions of Donetsk and Lugansk, one of the factors that triggered the events of this Thursday (24).
In Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying was in the same vein. Asked by an American reporter whether Beijing considered Putin’s action to be an invasion, she did not respond.
The situation is complicated for Xi Jinping. The Chinese leader had lent his support to Putin when the Russian issued an ultimatum to the West to settle the Ukrainian issue on its terms, aimed at thwarting the expansion of NATO (Washington-led military alliance) into the former Soviet space.
Xi even said that both countries should act together against Western pressure. Since 2017, the Cold War 2.0 launched by the US to contain Chinese assertiveness has opposed the powers on virtually every issue, from the pandemic to the autonomy of Hong Kong, through US military alliances in the Indo-Pacific.
Both went further, meeting at the opening of the Beijing Winter Games, which ended on Sunday (20). There, they formalized an alliance that effectively put Putin officially on Xi’s side in the struggle with Washington.
But, in addition to not being a military union, China is not Russia, a country largely distant from the Western financial system, with the notable exception of energy deals in the area of ​​gas and oil, where Germany, France and other potential adversaries are its partners.
Beijing, for all its animosity towards the West, has an enormous interconnection with American and European markets and companies. Now, Xi’s connection with Putin will be put to the test where it can hurt for China: the pocketbook.
