Sébastein Le Belzic 06h00, February 24, 2022
Faced with international sanctions, China is the only way out of an isolated Russia.
China, Russia's leading trading partner, will further increase its imports of Russian gas and oil.
But Beijing also has interests with Ukraine, since it signed several partnerships last June.
117 billion dollars is the amount of the contract signed this month by Beijing with Russia to import ever more gas and oil.
An agreement that adds to the contract of the century: 400 billion dollars, it was in 2014, barely two months after the annexation of Crimea by Russian troops.
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If Russia no longer sells its hydrocarbons to the West, China will still be a customer.
This Chinese bulimia could make it possible to partially bail out the coffers of Moscow.
But Beijing does not want a Russian economy on life support and risk a scenario like in North Korea where without the help of China the regime would be bankrupt.
Hence this statement yesterday by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying: "The position of the Chinese government is clear, we believe that sanctions have never been an effective way to solve problems. China s always oppose any unlawful unilateral sanction".
Beijing had also signed a contract with Kiev in June
China opposes sanctions because it also fears that its banks and companies will in turn be targeted by Washington.
Not to mention that she also has interests in Ukraine.
Last June Beijing signed a partnership agreement with Kiev with major infrastructure projects at stake for its businesses.