Russia-Ukraine crisis: China urged to weigh economic costs of Moscow coalition as sanction threats mount
- Beijing must carefully weigh the risks of getting closer to Moscow while Russia faces sanctions over Ukraine, some Chinese analysts say
- China-Russia trade would be caught up in sanctions fallout, especially if Russia was excluded from the SWIFT financial messaging service
Beijing’s deepening ties with Moscow show a united front against threats from the United States, but there is concern within China that a quasi-alliance could come with economic consequences should the Ukraine crisis escalate.
The show of solidarity on the sidelines of the Winter Olympics was keenly watched by the international community, with both sides agreeing to safeguard “international fairness and justice”, and using the meeting to push back against US economic threats.
After the summit, however, some Chinese analysts warned Beijing must carefully weigh the risks of a coalition with Moscow, and could be better off striking a balance between global powers.
Why should we band together? What can Russia provide us?
“China must make clear what suits its national interest the best. We need to ask what we will get and how much will we lose?” said Feng Yujun, director of Fudan University’s Centre for Russian and Central Asia Studies.
“Why should we band together? What can Russia provide us?”