Moscow [Russia]Apr 29 (ANI): Although Beijing has given strong diplomatic support to Russia during the Ukraine conflict, it seems unwilling to wholeheartedly support Moscow to avoid Western sanctions due to fear of secondary sanctions.
To stem growing suspicions about its ties to the Kremlin, China sent a delegation led by Huo Yuzhen, China’s special representative for China-Central and Eastern Europe cooperation, to the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, in Croatia, Slovenia and Estonia. , Latvia and Poland in the coming days, the Russian media council reported.
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China’s support for Russia in opposition to NATO expansion has raised concerns in central and eastern European countries about the Asian giant’s reliability as a reliable partner.
While on the one hand China was seeking steep discounts on the purchase of Russian oil/petroleum products and gas, at the same time it was denying the supply of Russian oil from Asia through tankers, thereby depriving Moscow of economic benefits.
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It was also unwilling to channel Russian payments through its financial system for fear of secondary sanctions and expressed its inability even to transfer products from Russian processors deemed necessary for Russian industry from Taiwan to China.
To speed up the movement of goods, the first cross-border railway bridge between China and Russia was to be fully operational by August 2022, reducing the train journey from Heilongjiang to Moscow by 800 km and travel time by 10 hours. . The bridge would further facilitate China in transporting coal, iron ore, timber and mineral fertilizers from Russia, which is expected to boost cross-border trade.
Interestingly, Chinese customs data revealed (March 2022) an increase in trade with Russia of more than 12% compared to March 2021 as well as an increase in imports from Russia of 26%.
According to reports, China’s interest in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict was purely economic, other indicators also suggest that the relationship between Beijing and Moscow was more than just numbers. A survey conducted between March 28 and April 5, 2022 by the “Carter Center China Focus” on Chinese public opinion regarding Russia’s actions in Ukraine, reveals that the majority of Chinese netizens believe that supporting Russia was in the China’s best interests.
China’s deputy permanent representative to the UN, Dai Bin, also said arms shipments to Ukraine and sanctions against Russia will not bring peace to Ukraine.
The whole world is currently paying for the economic pressure on Russia, and the sanctions have led to a food crisis and rising energy prices.
On April 14, 2022, CIA Director William Burns, speaking at the Georgia Institute of Technology, called Chinese President Xi Jinping “a silent partner in Putin’s aggression in Ukraine” and highlighted the “immediate threat posed by a new Russian aggression against Ukraine”. as well as the “longer-term problem posed by China’s ambitious leadership”, calling it the “most significant geopolitical challenge” of the 21st century.
It seems that Beijing wants to have the best of both worlds; however, he should bear in mind that sailing two boats simultaneously may result in one or both of them capsizing.
China’s subtle isolation from Russia can be attributed to protecting its own interests, as Beijing has recently come under international scrutiny, with a relentless stream of US officials urging it to distance themselves from Russia or suffer the “consequences”.
Despite being asked to broker a truce between Russia and Ukraine, and Beijing openly proclaiming its determination to do so, China appears to be choosing a low-key strategy. (ANI)
(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from syndicated newsfeed, LatestLY staff may not have edited or edited the body of the content)
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