"Beijing strikes a balance between the great powers"

The information, which was published in the New York Times on Wednesday and is based on leaked information from unnamed Western intelligence services, is startling - but not very surprising.

The question of what the Russian president actually said to Xi Jinping when they both met during the opening of the Olympics in Beijing in early February, currently employs many China experts.

The meeting was warm: the two leaders seemed to be close.

Did not know or did not know, that is the question

Putin may have talked about the invasion plans without Xi Jinping succeeding, or even trying, to stop the plans.

Or the Chinese leader did not read his Russian counterpart correctly, and did not understand that a real invasion - a war - was imminent.

That is: he was duped, led behind the light.

- Both alternatives look equally bad.

Xi Jinping may have committed the biggest foreign policy blunder to date during his time in power, said China expert Jude Blanchett of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) at a news conference in Beijing.

The New York Times report this week also clashes with previous reports that US intelligence before the invasion appealed to China to try to persuade Putin not to order it.

Something that China should then have dismissed.

China has three elections now

The situation is extremely complicated for China.

The choice is between better relations with the West or to support Russia in the Ukraine conflict.

A third choice is to, as far as possible, try to remain neutral.

Unreservedly supporting Russia can cost China dearly: trade with Russia cannot in the long run compensate for the economic loss that worse relations with the EU and the United States would entail.

If China chooses to help Putin financially, the effects of the Western powers' sanctions against Russia can be nullified - then Beijing will immediately take on the anger of the Western powers.

And perhaps own, financial punishment.

When the UN General Assembly on Wednesday voted through a resolution calling for an immediate withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukraine, China abstained.

Chinese media report that the reason for this was that China wants to help reduce the heated mood.

The government in Beijing will probably continue to try to balance carefully in its input on the conflict between Russia and the Western powers.

And you probably continue to hold the cards close to your chest.

Blame the US and the EU

Among ordinary Chinese, opinions differ as to whose fault the war in Ukraine is.

A common, almost reflexive reaction that SVT often encounters in Beijing, is to blame the United States, which is believed to have controlled and manipulated the Russian attack behind the scenes.

But there are also Chinese political scientists who blame the EU's weak reactions to the annexation of Crimea in 2014. They say: Putin was not punished then, so why would it be different this time?