‘Striking’ that Putin admits Xi’s concerns about Russia’s war in Ukraine: US State Department

‘Not surprising’ Beijing voicing reservations after months of ‘geopolitical gymnastics’ trying to avoid criticising Moscow, says spokesman
While questioning Sino-Russian relationship, he notes US has ‘deepened partnership’ with Taipei as Taiwan Policy Act advances

US-China relations

Kinling Loin Beijing

Published: 7:00am, 16 Sep 2022

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Russian President Vladimir Putin’s acknowledgement of Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping’s “concerns” about the war in Ukraine was “striking”, the US State Department said, reiterating American concerns about the two countries’ deepening relationship.

US State Department spokesman Ned Price made the comment hours after the Chinese and Russian leaders met in person for the first time since Russia invaded Ukraine in February.

“I suppose at this early hour [since the meeting], what is striking is President Putin’s apparent admission, at least as stated in the media, that President Xi has concerns about Russia’s war against Ukraine,” Price said at a briefing on Thursday.

During his meeting with Xi in Uzbekistan on Thursday, Putin said he understood China had “questions and concerns” about Moscow’s position, an indirect acknowledgement of Beijing’s potential disquiet. Russia has suffered a series of military setbacks in Ukraine in recent days, ceding territory it previously held.

“It’s not surprising that the PRC apparently has such concerns. It is somewhat curious that President Putin would be the one to admit it and to admit it so openly,” Price added, referring to China’s official name, the People’s Republic of China.

It was also “not surprising”, he said, because China in recent months had been playing “geopolitical gymnastics” trying to avoid openly criticising Russia’s invasion.

The US has seen no evidence that China has supplied military help to Russia, Price said, noting it has warned Beijing of incurring “significant cost” if it found any.

Washington has been intently monitoring how Sino-Russian relations have evolved and deepened as Xi and Putin close ranks amid intensifying pressure from the West.

To date, China has refrained from calling Russia’s military moves on Ukraine an “invasion”, instead blaming Washington and its allies for the conflict and condemning Western sanctions against Moscow.

In their meeting on Thursday, Putin told Xi: “We highly value the balanced position of our Chinese friends when it comes to the Ukraine crisis”. The Russian leader said he would explain Moscow’s position on this issue given China’s concerns.

Xi, meanwhile, assured Putin of China’s readiness to work with Russia “in extending strong support to each other on issues concerning … respective core interests”, according to state news agency Xinhua.

In highlighting Putin’s “striking” comments, Price blasted the two countries’ close relationship, which China hailed as a “no-limits” partnership during the previous Xi-Putin meeting that took place in Beijing just weeks before the war began.

Putin and Xi last met in person in Beijing in February, weeks before Russia invaded Ukraine. Photo: Kremlin/dpa

Price said Russia and China shared “a vision for the world that is starkly at odds” with the one “at the centre of the international system for the past eight decades”.

“We’ve made very clear our concern about this deepening relationship and the concern that every country around the world should have about this.”

Also on Thursday, Price commented on progress being made in the Taiwan Policy Act following a US Senate committee clearing the bill on Wednesday. The legislation goes next to the full Senate for a vote.

Should the bill gain passage there and in the US House of Representatives, it would go to US President Joe Biden for signature and then become law.

US Taiwan Policy Act: how would it change relations with the island?

“For our part, the Biden administration, we have deepened our partnership with Taiwan,” Price said. “We’ll continue to do so with effective diplomatic, economic and military support. And we appreciate the strong bipartisan support for Taiwan that we’re seeing in Congress and that we’re seeing across the country.”

Some US lawmakers have described the bill as “the most comprehensive restructuring of US policy towards Taiwan” since Washington normalised relations with Beijing and cut off official ties with Taipei in 1979.

China is against all official forms of exchanges with Taiwan. It regards the self-ruled island as a renegade province to be taken by force if necessary.