0 Comment(s) *
* The moderation of comments is automated and not cleared manually by indianexpress.com.
It is clear that Russia's actions in Ukraine have left Beijing in a difficult position, one that it may not have anticipated perhaps due to a belief, now misplaced, that Russian President Vladimir Putin would be able to pull of a surgical operation. Among the many interesting observations that Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi made at a press conference in Beijing on Monday, one was particularly telling. Noting that China- European Union trade had exceeded $800 billion for the first time in 2021, Wang said the cooperation between China and Europe, “going through decades of ups and downs, is deeply rooted in solid public support, extensive common interests and similar strategic needs. Such cooperation… cannot be reversed by any force”. Since Russia invaded Ukraine, Beijing has had to balance its “no limits” friendship with Moscow, its vital economic relationships with the US and Europe, and the need to be seen and accepted as a responsible power but without yielding on its core belief — that American unilateralism is the original sin. It has constantly finessed its statements on the conflict to reflect the fast-evolving ground situation. On Tuesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for “maximum restraint to prevent a humanitarian crisis” in a conference with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, commended their mediation efforts, and said China would coordinate with France, Germany and the EU, and work actively with the international community. He referred to a six-point initiative that China has undertaken to ease the humanitarian situation in Ukraine. He also reiterated China’s neutral formulation that the UN Charter and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries must be respected, and that the legitimate security concerns of all countries must be taken seriously.
It is clear that Russia’s actions in Ukraine have left Beijing in a difficult position, one that it may not have anticipated perhaps due to a belief, now misplaced, that Russian President Vladimir Putin would be able to pull of a surgical operation. The sanctions against Russia are going to hurt Beijing as well. But it appears that China also sees an opportunity in the present moment to project itself as a country that believes in de-escalation and conflict resolution and is prepared to work with other global powers to achieve this. It seeks to play down the image of a country that needles its neighbours and indulges in coercive Wolf Warrior diplomacy.
Beijing still considers the US as its primary rival in its quest for global supremacy. Wang’s deliberate casting of the Quad grouping as an “Asian NATO” may have been an attempt to draw a comparison between the Indo-Pacific and the conflict in Europe, but it contradicts its own position that the two are not comparable. If anything, in terms of security, China is a beneficiary of the war in Ukraine, with the US preoccupied in Europe. The 15th round of talks between the ground-level military commanders of India and China at the Line of Actual Control, scheduled for Friday, may provide more insight into the ripple effect, if any, the Ukraine conflict might have on tensions in Eastern Ladakh.
- The Indian Express website has been rated GREEN for its credibility and trustworthiness by Newsguard, a global service that rates news sources for their journalistic standards.
© The Indian Express (P) Ltd