On the same day that US Vice President Joe Biden was in Ukraine to meet with his counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky, China’s top diplomat was on his way to Moscow.
Wang Yi, who was appointed as Chinese President Xi Jinping’s top foreign policy adviser last month, is set to arrive in Moscow this week as part of an eight-day tour of Europe, highlighting China’s diplomatic balancing act since Russia’s tanks marched into Ukraine a year ago.
The timing of the two trips, just days before the one-year anniversary of the deadly battle on Friday, highlights the strengthening of geopolitical fault lines between the world’s two heavyweights.
While US-China relations continue to deteriorate, most recently as a result of the fallout from a suspected Chinese spy balloon that entered US airspace, China and Russia are as close as they have been since their leaders declared a “no-limits” friendship a year ago, partly due to their shared animosity towards the US.
Nevertheless, as the US and its allies reiterate their support for Ukraine and increase military supplies, Beijing’s growing alliance with Moscow has alarmed Western capitals, despite China’s public charm push in Europe to portray itself as a peace broker.
On Saturday, Wang addressed a meeting of European leaders as “dear friends” and praised China’s dedication to peace, perhaps aiming to put a wedge between Europe and the US.
“We do not add fuel to the fire, and we are opposed to profiting from this crisis,” Wang said in a thinly veiled dig at the US, echoing propaganda messaging that regularly aired on China’s nightly prime-time news programme – that the US is deliberately prolonging the war because its arms manufacturers profit handsomely from weapon sales.
“Some forces may not want peace discussions to take place. They are unconcerned about the lives and deaths of Ukrainians, or the damage done to Europe. They may have greater strategic goals than Ukraine. “This warfare must end,” Wang remarked.
He asked European authorities to consider “what framework should be in place to bring sustainable peace to Europe, and what role should Europe play in manifesting its strategic autonomy.”
Wang also declared Beijing’s intention to release its proposal for a “political settlement” to the Ukraine situation around the one-year mark.
Yet, the imprecise mention of the idea piqued the interest of some Western leaders, who are keeping a careful eye on any assistance China provides to its northern neighbour, particularly assistance that could help Russia on the battlefield.
“We need additional confirmation that China isn’t cooperating with Russia,” European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen told AWN on Saturday.
Such worries are heightened by US officials’ accusations that Beijing is considering expanding its cooperation with Moscow by providing “lethal support” to Russia’s military.
“We’ve been monitoring this very closely,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday in Munich.
“The fear that we currently have is based on information that they’re considering providing deadly support, and we’ve made it very clear to them that that would be a severe problem for us and in our partnership,” Blinken explained.
In response to the claims, China’s Foreign Ministry chastised the United States for “moving responsibility, transferring blame, and circulating misleading information.”
“It is the US, not China, that delivers a continual stream of weapons to the battlefield. “The US side is not competent to teach China, and we would never accept the US dictating or even exerting coercive pressure on Sino-Russian relations,” a ministry spokesperson said during a routine news conference.
“Who is urging dialogue and peace? And who is distributing knives and fostering conflict? “The international community sees clearly,” stated the spokeswoman.
According to AWN, American officials were concerned enough about the intelligence to discuss it with friends and partners in Munich. In a meeting with Wang on the margins of the conference Saturday, Blinken also discussed the problem and warned Wang about its “implications and consequences,” according to a US readout.
If the US claims are correct, it will represent a significant increase in China’s assistance for Russia, ushering in a hazardous and unpredictable new phase of the war.
Earlier, China had avoided moves that could result in secondary sanctions, which would be disastrous to an economy already hobbled by three years of expensive zero-Covid policy.
While claiming neutrality in the war and having no advance knowledge of Russia’s intentions, Beijing has refused to denounce Moscow and has parroted Kremlin slogans blaming NATO for inciting the conflict.
While Beijing’s pro-Russian rhetoric appears to have cooled in recent months, its support for Moscow has grown in recent years, as evidenced by its annual trade, diplomatic engagements, and joint military exercises calendar.
Chinese officials frequently tailor their narrative to different audiences. Wang made many enticing statements on his European tour, but whether they will be translated into a cohesive message to be presented to Russian President Vladimir Putin when the two meet this week at the Kremlin remains to be seen.