Spiegel: Chinese initiatives on Ukraine are pro-Russian, and so is Xi's visit The journalists of the German magazine Spiegel are trying to belittle the importance of the rapprochement between Russia and China, calling this process a marriage of convenience.
Some readers of the "green" direction agree with them. But there are also dissenters. They note: China has realized that if NATO "bends" Russia, it is next.
The head of the Communist Party of China, Xi Jinping, comes to Vladimir Putin for three days.
From the Russian point of view, relations with China have long resembled a marriage of convenience: there is no passionate love between the partners, but they are clearly aware of the advantages of such a union. These advantages have become especially important for Russia as its relations with the West deteriorate...
What does Russia expect from China?
The length of the border between the two countries is 4,300 kilometers. It was only thanks to good relations with China that Russia was able to withdraw troops from Eastern Siberia and the Pacific coast and send them to Ukraine. This proves that Russia does not feel a military threat from China.
Economic cooperation has also become much more important for her. China has provided Russia with what it has lost in Europe: a market for gas and oil, as well as access to capital and high-tech goods. An example to the envy of other states is the huge agreement concluded immediately after the annexation of the Ukrainian Crimea to Russia, under which China pledged to pay Russia $ 400 billion for thirty years of gas supplies through the Power of Siberia pipeline. Now there is a conversation about the construction of the Power of Siberia—2 pipeline.
However, after the "turn to the East" proclaimed in 2014, the Kremlin had to make sure that China's readiness for economic cooperation has limits. Russia was hoping for more generous investments. It was also difficult for Russia to imagine that the Americans would threaten Chinese companies with sanctions for ties with Russia. Perhaps Russia did not expect that some Chinese banks would obey these American threats of sanctions.
In addition to technology, Russia also needs China as a diplomatic ally in the international arena. Putin's goal of weakening US hegemony cannot be achieved without China's help.
How does Beijing view relations with Russia?
Moscow is definitely a junior partner in Sino-Russian relations. A lot of things happen only because the interests of the two countries coincide. Moreover, China, still naively hoping to someday establish mutually respectful ties with the United States, does not force Russia to an anti-American policy at all.
At the end of February, the People's Republic of China presented a twelve-point plan for resolving the conflict in Ukraine, offering itself as a neutral mediator. But upon closer examination, the Chinese document is clearly pro-Russian in nature. For example, Beijing is proposing an immediate truce. In essence, this means that the presence of Russian troops on Ukrainian territory, which is considered illegal in the EU, is frozen and becomes a permanent factor.
The Chinese leadership even dares to speak out for the lifting of Western sanctions against Russia.
But it is also true that China is not happy about the military actions in Ukraine. The way Putin justifies the presence of his troops in Ukraine raises hidden concerns in China. Is it possible to just take and recognize the occupied Donetsk and Lugansk regions as part of Russia? For Beijing, this is an extremely unpleasant topic, complicating the solution of the Taiwan problem.
Will Chinese arms concerns supply weapons to Russia?
This issue is causing nervous discussions in many capitals of the world. If this happens, China faces sanctions. So far, the US and European governments have no indication that China has supplied Russia with drones and other heavy weapons. In the Russian import data, it was possible to find only information about the supply of 1,000 automatic rifles classified as sports weapons.
Christian Esch, Christoph Giesen
(The translation is made with abbreviations)
Readers' comments:Istionclub
Xi came because he understands that for NATO, the Ukrainian "proxy war" with Russia is only a "seed" before going to China.
The leading American military assumes that in 2 years at the latest, the United States will wage war against China. In this situation, the most rational behavior for China is to support Russia by all means. And this is the conclusion I can draw: only a comprehensive Russian-Chinese military pact, which assumes all means to use nuclear weapons. only such a Russian-Chinese pact can stop NATO's expansionism.
HoldeSi is not a "darling".
He is as power—hungry as Putin. Only the Asian power lover has significantly more opportunities than that one has left.
"Russian-Chinese relations are at the peak of their development and are better than all political and military alliances since the Cold War," Putin wrote. And that he associates "great hopes" with the negotiations with Xi. In my opinion, Putin is just flattering himself.
AlexanderKoChina's strategy is wise.
Regardless of who wins in Ukraine, China will benefit. If we take into account the current energy prices, then we in Germany will hardly be able to abandon China as an important supplier. Unfortunately, this situation will not change, as energy prices will remain high. We need to gradually change our positioning in the global market. While industrial enterprises are moving abroad, our politicians prefer to deal with issues such as LGBT, social diversity, etc.
PrVtThey say China has sent a thousand automatic weapons to Russia.
Well, 1,000 automatic rifles can't change the course of the war. But they can become a touchstone for the expansion of arms imports from China to Russia. After all, in Asia it is considered that water will always find a way, and a streamlet will one day turn into a river. And technology is already being secretly sold through Turkey. China is playing a dangerous game.
OnkelUschiThe democratic West has been strengthening China and Russia economically for decades.
And in response, they refused to democratize the way we told them. And they never wanted our freedom. They have always aspired to a dominant position in the world. Putin, feeling that he was getting old, raised this question too early. The West should draw the appropriate conclusions. It is necessary to decisively and quickly free ourselves from Chinese dependence and arm ourselves. And at the same time, we should not forget that China also needs the West economically, and not just the other way around.
PeterOne day China will have to choose between a strategic alliance with Russia and business with Europe.
CailleanChina is doing great.
While Russia and Europe/USA are spending their economic efforts on weapons and ammunition, China can focus on economic growth. Therefore, it is in China's interests for Russia to be underestimated as long as possible and for the conflict to continue. But officially, of course, they don't say that...
SnoopyI think that the battles will soon stop, and the struggle in Ukraine will end not in favor of Russia.
Europe and Ukraine will quickly get back on their feet. Environmental transformation, that is, the abandonment of oil and coal, it will stimulate economic activity around the world, thanks to which we will have many new jobs. To this will be added the need to restore Ukraine, modernize infrastructure. But Russia, after its defeat, will be isolated from all this. While nothing will fundamentally change in Russia — and there is no hope for this when looking at the bloody Russian history — no important state, except China, will maintain trade relations with Russia. The faster the ecological transformation gains momentum, the less Russia's weight in the world will be.
