War in Ukraine: Faced with Western pressure, Chinese diplomacy turns south

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his visit to Islamabad in Pakistan on March 22, 2022. AP - Rahmat Gul

Text by: Stéphane Lagarde Follow

3 mins

As Joe Biden begins a visit to Europe, for his part, Wang Yi was in Pakistan on Wednesday.

The Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs is due to visit Nepal this weekend and possibly India this Thursday.

Faced with international pressure on its position with regard to Russia, China is turning to the countries of the South.

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From our correspondent in Beijing, 

BRI and BRICS are again highlighted in this counter-offensive of Chinese diplomacy.

Faced with pressure from the West asking it to choose sides in the war led by Russia in Ukraine, Beijing is mobilizing its networks in South Asia.

In Pakistan, Wang Yi attended the meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

Faced with criticism of the repression of minorities in Xinjiang, China is trying to cultivate a certain proximity with Muslim countries.

The Chinese Foreign Minister also had a long talk with the Pakistani Prime Minister.

Imran Khan who, India still remembers, was invited to Moscow on the day of the invasion of Ukraine.

Silk Roads and Regional Security

BRI for the “Belt and road” initiative, dear to the Chinese president: the new Chinese silk roads pass through Pakistan,

.

In Kathmandu on Friday, Wang Yi is expected to sign new Silk Road projects.

Before or after this date, nothing official yet in the agenda of the Chinese state councilor.

BRICS, as a group of emerging countries bringing together Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

If Wang Yi does indeed travel to New Delhi as

have suggested, it will be the first visit by a senior Chinese government official to India since the deadly Sino-Indian border clashes in June 2020. A visit on the theme of security, but also diplomacy.

Both countries held back on condemnation of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, drawing similar criticism from Western capitals.

Chinese president invited to Riyadh

Links between Beijing and Moscow reaffirmed on Wednesday by China's opposition to Russia's exclusion from the next G20.

Vladimir Putin having responded positively to the invitation of Jakarta which will organize the summit of heads of state and government, as well as finance ministers and directors of central banks of the most developed countries of the planet at the end of this year .

Openness to the countries of the South, solidarity with the BRICS and proximity to the countries of the Middle East.

After the

, and the start of Ramadan, the Chinese president was invited to Riyadh, reports the

.

Again, nothing official on Xi Jinping's agenda.

This invitation comes as relations between Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Joe Biden are strained.

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Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Saudi Arabia has rejected demands to increase its oil exports to counter rising crude prices.

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