‘No benefit’ for China’s Taiwan claim in Russian war with Ukraine

Chinese observers say there is no link between the two issues but Beijing is closely watching US involvement in Ukrainian crisis

An invasion of Ukraine will add to economic and diplomatic pressure on China from the US and Europe, the experts said

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A Ukrainian serviceman fires an anti-tank weapon during an exercise in the Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine. Photo: AP

Published: 1:00pm, 16 Feb 2022Updated: 4:51pm, 16 Feb 2022

A Russian invasion of Ukraine would be a diplomatic dilemma for Beijing and do nothing to further the reunification of Taiwan with the mainland, according to Chinese experts.

“Of course we don’t want [an invasion]. We have a close relationship with Russia and maintain a good one with Ukraine,” said Zhang Tuosheng, a former strategic issues researcher with the PLA National Defence University.

An invasion, while unlikely, would do Beijing no good in terms of the economic and diplomatic pressure it would face from the US and Europe, he said, adding that China wanted to see agreement reached through negotiation.

Zhang, who is now with the Beijing-based think tank Grandview Institution, said China regarded the maintaining of national territorial integrity as an important diplomatic principle.

As the crisis on the Ukrainian border has intensified, Beijing has stuck to its line that all parties involved should be “rational” and solve their problems through negotiation.

But China has also shown empathy and support for Russia’s security concerns in Europe. On Tuesday, the Chinese foreign ministry hit back at a G7 pledge to sanction Russia if it goes to war.