War in Ukraine: China's cautious support for Russia

The Russian President and his Chinese counterpart in Beijing, February 4, 2022. via REUTERS - SPUTNIK

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2 mins

On February 4, twenty days before the Russian offensive in Ukraine, President Xi Jinping welcomed Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Winter Olympics in Beijing and declared that their friendship had “

no limits

”.

Attached to its partnership with Moscow, China condemned neither the presence of Russian soldiers in Ukraine nor the annexation of the territories of southern Ukraine, and accused the West of being responsible for the conflict.

His support remains, but he is very calibrated.

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With our correspondent in Moscow, 

Anissa El Jabri

From the end of February in Russia, many shrug their shoulders in the face of Western sanctions which point out: “

Anyway, we can do everything with the support of China

”.

The reality is obviously more nuanced.

On the one hand, Beijing refuses to use the term "

invasion

" to describe what Moscow is doing in Ukraine, blames the United States and NATO for the conflict, and condemns arms deliveries and penalties.

On the other hand, China is careful to respect these same Western sanctions.

Above all, the longer the conflict lasts, the more China lets its annoyance filter through.

This was the case in mid-September, during the Shanghai summit.

To the point that Vladimir Putin had to publicly say "

understand

Chinese questions and concerns".

The setbacks of the Russian army and the threats of the use of nuclear weapons have been there.

Anti-Western and anti-Washington

Put to the test, the Peking-Moscow link nevertheless remains solid with a

resolutely anti-Western and singularly anti-Washington

team .

The relationship is also woven of shared military and strategic interests: the two countries have thus multiplied joint military exercises in recent months.

Economically, however, the imbalance in favor of Beijing is flagrant.

At the Vladivostok economic forum in early September, Vladimir Putin had praised the Asian pivot of Moscow.

But if China buys Russian oil and thus contributes to supporting its military effort, it is also good business for it, as Moscow now practices a policy of rebates with its customers.

Finally, Beijing could also take advantage of a Russia focused on the conflict in Ukraine to push

its interests in Central Asia

.

The two countries had until then maintained a controlled rivalry in this region.

To read also: War in Ukraine: China's increased support for Russia

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