Illustrative Image
Talking about the special operation in Ukraine, the positions of actors who are not directly involved in the conflict are extremely important. One such actor is China. The position of China has been published in portions. However, different people have different perceptions of information.
Thus, on March 17, Washington hoped that China would have the necessary influence on Russia in connection with the events in Ukraine.
U.S. Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken commented: “We believe that China, in particular, has a responsibility to exercise its influence over President Putin and protect the international rules and principles that China claims to preserve.”
According to him, however, China seems to be moving “in the opposite direction” and does not condemn the Russian military operation in Ukraine. Blinken also claimed that Washington was concerned that Chinese authorities were exploring the possibility of directly supporting Russia with supplies of military equipment. The White House also insisted that Russia had requested military assistance from China, but as such, there was no evidence of this.
China did not support Russia when the UN voted for a resolution condemning the invasion of Ukraine, even though Chinese leader Xi Jinping called Vladimir Putin “the best friend” and the Russian president reciprocated. China did not oppose the invasion either.
On the day when Russian troops began striking Ukrainian territory, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying spent much of her daily briefing criticizing the United States, accusing Washington of “pursuing a block policy to create confrontation and division based on ideology. At the same time, she added that China and Russia “act responsibly in supporting international security and stability.” Hua Chunying never gave a direct answer to the question of whether China considers the Russian “special operation” an invasion.
However, to shed some light on China’s position, one of the official statements by Li Keqiang, Premier of the Chinese State Council, should be considered.
On March 12, Li Keqiang gave the following answer to a journalist’s question: “As I said earlier, China has always pursued an independent and peaceful foreign policy. As for the situation in Ukraine, China believes that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be respected, the goals and principles of the UN Charter should be adhered to, and the legitimate security concerns of all countries should be taken seriously. The current situation in Ukraine is indeed worrisome, and we should do everything possible to support the Russian and Ukrainian sides in overcoming difficulties to achieve a peaceful outcome to the negotiations, and we support and encourage all efforts that contribute to a peaceful resolution of the crisis. It is crucial to avoid escalating tensions or even losing control of the situation on which the international community and all parties have reached a consensus. China calls for maximum restraint to prevent the outbreak of a large-scale humanitarian crisis. China has already launched initiatives to address the humanitarian situation in Ukraine and will continue to provide humanitarian aid to the Ukrainian side. At present, the world economy is already struggling because of the effects of the epidemic and other consequences, and the sanctions in question will affect the recovery of the world economy to the detriment of all parties. China is ready to make its constructive efforts to maintain world peace and stability and promote development and prosperity.”
Beijing’s position can be described as flexible, peace-loving, but not clear-cut. On the one hand, China advocates an end to the conflict in Ukraine, refusing to join the Western sanctions against Russia, while on the other hand, claiming the Ukrainian sovereignty. This may seem like a contradictory position. However, it fits within the framework of Chinese foreign policy. China’s position comes primarily from the benefits that China can gain. China has a positive attitude to the concept of multipolarity promoted by Russia, it also sees Russia as a geopolitical ally (at least in the short term) and a trade partner, although trade turnover has begun to grow in the last month. At the same time, China trades with Ukraine, has its enterprises there, and a military conflict is not beneficial for it, also an extraordinary rapprochement with Moscow may entail sanctions from the EU and the US, which China also does not need. Therefore, China does not give an unambiguous answer to the Ukrainian crisis in order not to lose the “advantageous balance” between all the actors, but only formally talks about peace and conflict resolution.
