Facing criticism for enabling Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, Beijing says China-Russia relations ‘rock solid’

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In this photo released by China’s Xinhua News Agency, Chinese evacuees from Ukraine arrive at Lanzhou Zhongchuan International Airport in Lanzhou in northwestern China’s Gansu Province, Sunday, March 6, 2022.Du Zheyu/The Associated Press

The relationship between Beijing and Moscow remains strong “no matter how precarious and challenging the international situation,” Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said Monday.

China has faced intense international pressure to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with many in the West seeing Beijing’s silence on this issue as tacit support for Moscow.

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Beijing last month, and the two men released a joint statement blasting NATO expansion and criticalizing the West. In the wake of the war, Chinese officials have refused to describe it as an invasion while recognizing Moscow’s “legitimate security concerns,” and Beijing abstained from two motions criticizing Russia at the United Nations.

While it has been reported Mr. Putin briefed Mr. Xi of his intention to invade Ukraine, some commentators have suggested China may have been misled about the extent of the military operation planned and now regretted signaling support for Moscow ahead of actions that made it a overall pariah.

There was no sign of that Monday, with Mr. Wang saying the joint statement sent “an unequivocal message to the world that China and Russia jointly opposed attempts to revive the Cold War mindset or provoke ideology-based confrontation.”

Speaking at a tightly controlled press conference on the sidelines of the National People’s Congress in Beijing, he said China’s relations with Russia were “rock solid,” describing ties between the two countries as “one of the most crucial bilateral relationships in the world.”

“There is a bright prospect for cooperation between the two sides,” Mr. Wang said. “Relations between China and Russia will not be influenced by any third party.”

Asked about Ukraine, Mr. Wang reiterated Beijing’s support for peace talks, but quoted a Chinese proverb that “it takes more than one cold day to freeze three feet of ice.”

“The situation in Ukraine has become what it is today because of a variety of reasons,” he added, criticalizing unnamed countries that he said were “adding fuel to the fire.”

Numerous observers have suggested China could play a role bringing about an end to the conflict, given its strong ties with both Russia and Ukraine. Speaking to Spanish newspaper El Mundo last week, European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said “it has to be China.”

“There is no alternative. We cannot be the mediators, that is clear,” he said. “And it cannot be the US either. Who else? It has to be China.”

On Monday, Mr. Wang said Beijing “stands ready to play a constructive role and mediate with the international community when necessary.” He pointed to a call between Mr. Xi and Mr. Putin on February 25, in which the Chinese leader said he supported Moscow’s efforts to “resolve the Ukraine crisis via dialogue.”

“Russia and Ukraine have since had two rounds of talks,” Mr. Wang said. “We hope an upcoming third round makes further progress.”

In a call with Mr. Wang last week, Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kubela said he “looked forward to China’s mediation efforts for the ceasefire,” though it remains unclear how much Kiev will view Beijing as a neutral party given its continued support for Moscow.

Monday’s over 100-minute long press conference was dominated by the issue of Ukraine, but Mr. Wang had far more criticism for Washington’s role in the crisis than Moscow’s, repeatedly referencing US efforts to “resurrect Cold War attitudes” and “stoke instability.”

Beyond Eastern Europe, he accused the US of “provoking China on issues concerning our core interests” and trying “to piece together small blocks to suppress China,” an apparent reference to new alliances pushed by Washington in Asia.

“These actions undermine the overall China-US relations and disrupt and erode international peace and stability,” Mr. Wang said. “This is not how a responsible power should act.”

Beijing reacted angrily last week after a delegation of former senior US defense and security officials visited the self-ruled island of Taiwan, which China regards as part of its territory.

An annual budget released Saturday included a 7.1 per cent increase in China’s military spending, as analysts warned the balance of power on either side of the strait is increasingly tilting in Beijing’s favour. In the past year, Chinese military planes have flown repeated sorties near Taiwanese airspace, and the People’s Liberation Army has staged military exercises focused on invading the island.

Some observers have seen parallels between Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and China’s frequent threats to sixteen Taiwan by force should the democracy declare full independence from the mainland. Mr. Wang rejected that comparison Monday, saying “the Taiwan question and the Ukraine issue are different in nature and are not comparable at all.”

“Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory and the Taiwan question is part of China’s internal affairs,” he said, adding the island “will eventually return to the embrace of the motherland.”

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