Should the Ukraine war give China pause for thought? (Opinion)
Russian and Chinese troops train together during last year’s Zapad 2021 exercise. (Russian MoD Press Service)
China is propping up Russia, refusing to denounce its ally for the invasion of Ukraine. The war will also help shape Xi's plans to conquer Taiwan.
There is conjecture about China’s foreknowledge of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Still, there is no doubt that President Vladimir Putin and Chairman Xi Jinping met in Beijing last month to sign the China-Russia Comprehensive Partnership of Coordination for a New Era. It is a partnership with ‘no limits’, they said.
Xi and Putin have met 38 times since 2013, the two strongmen building rapport as they seek to help their respective nations take their ‘rightful places’ on the world stage. Reflecting their mutual respect, Putin waited four days until after the Beijing Winter Olympics concluded before invading Ukraine.
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