Russia has reportedly asked China for military equipment and economic aid, as it finds itself increasingly isolated over the invasion of Ukraine. But can Beijing show more support to Vladimir Putin?
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a joint statement in February 2022 that their friendship “has no limits”. AFP
Russia’s alienation from the world continues as the war in Ukraine rages on. Desperate, the Kremlin is now turning to China to survive the mighty sanctions it has been slapped with and hopes that it can find a strong ally in the Asian giant.
Russia has asked China for military assistance in Ukraine along with economic aid, a United States official said ahead of a Monday meeting in Rome between top aides from Washington and Beijing. The US has said that it will try to convince China to not back Russia at the high-level meet, which is considered crucial for not only the conflict in Ukraine but also for power balance in the world.
Washington’s strong stand
White House national security advisor Jack Sullivan, who is scheduled to meet Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi in the Italian capital on Monday, warned that Beijing would face consequences if it helped Moscow evade sanctions that have crippled the country’s economy. “We are communicating directly, privately to Beijing, that there will absolutely be consequences for large-scale sanctions evasion efforts or support to Russia to backfill them,” he told CNN. “We will not allow that to go forward and allow there to be a lifeline to Russia from these economic sanctions from any country, anywhere in the world.
If China comes to Russia’s helps, it’s a matter of grave concern for the US and Europe which has shown support to Ukraine. According to reports in The Washington Post and Financial Times, Russia has requested for military support, including drones, from China. This will provide a much-needed boost to the Russian military currently bogged down in Ukraine. If the Kremlin can get around the sanctions, it will only strengthen Vladimir Putin’s resolve.
The White House has also accused China of spreading false claims by Russia that Ukraine was running a biological and chemical weapons laboratories with the backing of the US. It says that China is effectively providing cover to Russia if it goes ahead with a biological or chemical weapons attack on Ukraine, reports The Associated Press news agency.
What China has to say
China, however, has denied reports of Russia’s request for military aid. “I’ve never heard of that,” said Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in the US, according to CNN.
“The high priority now is to prevent the tense situation from escalating or even getting out of control. …China calls for exercising utmost restraint and preventing a massive humanitarian crisis,” he added.
Russia-China ties
China’s relationship with Russia is ever-evolving. The two nations have come closer, as they face pressure from the West over human rights, among other issues.
Since 24 February, China has maintained a middle ground, refraining from calling it an invasion. While it has opposed sanctions and said it will not stop trade with Russia, Beijing’s official communication has, however, changed over the past few weeks.
From being non-interfering in the affairs of other nations, it has agreed to play mediator between Russia and Ukraine. China’s foreign minister Wang Yi had said last week that the country was “willing to work with the international community to carry out necessary mediation, when necessary”. He also reaffirmed China’s unwavering “support for Ukraine’s sovereignty” and expressed regret about the military action, saying it was concerned about the harm caused to civilians.
China has also abstained from voting on a United Nations resolution against the Russian invasion, something that has come as a surprise. Experts expected Beijing to go all out and vote in support of Russia.
Is there then a change in China’s policy toward Russia?
China is playing its diplomatic cards well. It’s trying to strike a balance between the principles of respecting Ukraine’s sovereignty while recognising what it describes as the “legitimate security concerns” of Russia, says the BBC.
But it was only a month ago that Chinese President Xi Jinping met his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Beijing. The two signed trade and energy deals, lunched together, and posed for photographs. Putin was the guest of honour at the opening ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics. It all ended with a joint statement, declaring that the friendship between Russia and China “has no limits”. “… there are no forbidden areas of cooperation,” the two counties said.
It’s just been over a month and that friendship has been put to test.
China is treading carefully when dealing with Russia because of Taiwan. Xi wants to see it united with China, but if he uses military force the country is likely to invite the same reaction from the US as Russia has – sanctions and isolation. It’s why Beijing appears sympathetic towards Moscow. “….China’s leader likely sees a future in which he can seek to justify to the world an ‘invasion’ of Taiwan, and expect Russia’s reciprocal support,” journalist Robin Brant writes in BBC.
However, China is aware of its position in the world. It finds itself in a tight spot between two of its biggest trading partners, the US and European Union. “Even though China’s government probably wishes to assist Russia, it cannot shield its companies from the potentially crippling punishments for violating sanctions,” analysts at Gavekal Dragonomics, a research firm, wrote, according to The Washington Post.
Being knows it cannot afford to lose access to Western markets and it’s exactly why it might have no choice but to limit its relationship with Russia.
With inputs from agencies
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