China’s Weibo is new front in UK-Russia war of words over Ukraine

Russian embassy in China responds to ‘absurd’ Boris Johnson social media post calling for Moscow to step back from invasion
Many Chinese social media users were bemused by the British prime minister’s post, preferring to ask him about Sherlock Holmes

Weibo

Laura Zhou

Published: 5:00pm, 16 Feb 2022

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China’s social media platform Weibo has become the latest arena for dialogue between Britain and Russia over Ukraine.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson used his Chinese social media account to urge Russian President Vladimir Putin to think again about invading Ukraine.

“We are on the edge of a cliff, but President Putin still has time to step back and think,” Johnson said in a Chinese-language post on Tuesday night.

“We urge everyone to engage in dialogue – the Russian government should avoid making decisions that would be disastrously wrong for their country.”

The Russian embassy in China responded to Johnson on Wednesday afternoon – via Weibo – calling the statement “absurd”.

“This statement is designed to further inflame the hysteria surrounding the so-called imminent Russian invasion of Ukraine and is absurd,” it said.

“The continued military development in Ukraine supported by Nato countries through the supply of large amount of weapons to the country is an example of the escalation of the situation.”

Johnson’s message had received 1.1 million likes by noon on Wednesday. However, Weibo users did not appear to share the British leader’s concerns.

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“He’s on the edge of the cliff. Just push him off,” wrote one social media commenter, tagging the Russian embassy in China.

Some were confused, asking “does Putin know Chinese?” Others took an opportunity to ask the British prime minister for news of BBC TV series Sherlock Holmes, last broadcast five years ago.

“How about the [next season] of Sherlock Holmes?” one user said, with another echoing “this is a really serious issue Mr Prime Minister should take into consideration”.

Johnson made his debut on Weibo in 2020, using the account set up by the prime minister’s office. He last posted on the platform in November during the COP26 summit when China and the US issued a joint pledge to act on climate change.

02:00

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In a meeting last week with Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels, Johnson said the possibility of a Russian invasion of Ukraine was the “biggest security crisis that Europe has faced in decades and we’ve got to get it right”.

There were signs on Tuesday night that war may have been averted, with the Russian defence ministry saying it was pulling back some of its troops from the border with Ukraine, after they had completed military exercises.

Hours later, during a press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Moscow, Putin denied he was planning to invade Ukraine. Russia is ready for talks with the US and Nato on missile limits and military transparency, but had not yet received positive answers to its security demands, he added.

Also on Tuesday, in a national address from the White House, President Joe Biden said the US had not verified if some Russian troops were moving back from the border. “An invasion remains distinctly possible.”

Beijing has repeatedly called for direct talks between Ukraine and Russia and has avoided criticising Moscow, saying Russian security concerns should be respected.