“China is absolutely insensitive to Putin’s toxicity”: what Ukraine should prepare for

This morning, March 22, Chinese leader Xi Jinping completed his state visit to Moscow and left Russia. The board of the head of China departed from the capital’s Vnukovo-2 airport. On the occasion of the departure of the head of the PRC, the Russian authorities staged a solemn ceremony. The Chinese leader walked the red carpet on board with the musical accompaniment of a military band.

Recall that Chinese President Xi Jinping was on a three-day visit to Russia. Xi became the first world leader to meet in person with Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin on March 20, after the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague issued a warrant for his arrest on March 17. At least 123 countries that have ratified the Rome Charter could arrest Putin on charges of forcibly deporting children from Russian-occupied territories.

The talks between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin in Moscow probably did not go exactly as the head of the Kremlin had hoped. The president of the aggressor country failed to ensure the unlimited bilateral partnership with China that he hoped for, according to the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW). As analysts recalled, on March 21, politicians signed a “Joint Statement by Russia and China on deepening comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation, entering a new era.”

The document refers to “highest in historythe level of relations between countries, the commitment to territorial integrity to each other, and much more. However, as experts write, the commitments made by Xi and Putin were noticeably one-sided. This suggests that the head of the PRC is agreeing to a more restrained version of Russian-Chinese relations than the bunker president wants.

“Xi praised Putin, reaffirmed China’s commitment to Russia in the UN Security Council, and strengthened China’s position on a political settlement of the war in Ukraine, but did not go beyond these statements.“, the ISW report says.

Meanwhile, Putin has announced measures that suggest Russia will remain China-centered and dependent on Beijing for energy and economic sectors.

“They seem to be very one-sided compared to relatively moderate commitments.”, - they write in ISW.

In addition, the Chinese leader in talks with Putin did not signal any intention to support Russia’s war in Ukraine, other than vague diplomatic assurances. This is clearly not what the head of the Kremlin hoped for.

“Putin probably failed to secure exactly the partnership he needs and wants… Putin noted that Russia and China had a “very substantive and frank exchange of views” on the prospects for further development of Russian-Chinese relations. Such rhetoric clearly lacks the language commonly used in diplomatic speeches to show that both sides have reached final and substantive agreements.“, the ISW report says.

Inclined to the same opinion Head of the Center for Russian Studies, diplomat, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (2007-2009) Vladimir Ohryzko.

“I don’t think that China will go further than general talk about the fact that we are neighbors, that we have a wonderful history, which, however, China also interprets in its own way, that we need to deepen our relations.” But in reality, China will increasingly bind Russia economically, turn it into its own energy, economic raw material, and use this history for its own purposes, already in the interests of, so to speak, a certain confrontation with the West. So I think the Chinese will not be in a hurry”, Vladimir Ohryzko commented on Xi’s visit on the Svoboda program. live.

In the same time Yury Poita, Head of the Asia-Pacific Region Section at the Center for Army Research, Conversion and Disarmament called the visit of the Chinese leader a rather negative fact and noted that Ukraine should prepare for any scenarios. As a result of this visit, in his opinion, there will be a strengthening of economic, technological and political ties between the Russian Federation and China.

“Visit (Xi Jinping to Moscow. Auth.) for Ukraine it is quite negative, the only question is how negative it is. I’ll explain why. Firstly, this visit took place, it has the status of a state one. This is the highest status of visits by leaders, and we understand that China will not take any measures to isolate Russia internationally. We see that China is absolutely insensitive to the toxicity of Putin.”, Poita said during an online briefing on the topic: “Xi Jinping’s trip to Moscow. What does this mean for Ukraine? at the Media Center Ukraine - Ukrinform.

“An important point to which you should pay attention. Putin wants an institutionalized union backed by various treaties and actions. China, on the other hand, is satisfied with the situation to maintain relations, to trade, but not to take obligations on Russia. Winning strategy for China“, - such an opinion was expressed political scientist Igor Reiterovich in the comment “Channel 24”.

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin failed. Russian dictator fell into a trap, believes diplomat, international expert, executive director of the China Trade Association (2016-2022) Ruslan Osipenko.

“The Chinese visit failed, the ways lost it. He did not leave to meet the Chinese leader at the airport. Russia actually acted as a petitioner. And the petitioners who consider Xi Jinping a friend should meet him with everyone: both the head of government and Putin himself. Then they could ask and receive anything. Not going to meet Xi, but relying on the protocol, it seems that the geopolitical situation is such that they are equal, and Putin does not lose on the battlefield, he did not receive an arrest warrant from the ISS … The visit was not a success. And it’s in our best interest“, - he said on the air of the “People’s Talk Show” on the NTA TV channel.