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Will China heed US, European calls to help restrain Russia in Ukraine?
- Both Washington and Brussels have urged Beijing to step in and take action against Moscow
- But relations with the US are clouding prospects, analysts say
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When Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke to his French and German counterparts to discuss Ukraine on Tuesday, the outcome was muted but at least it was positive.
According to a Chinese statement about the call, Xi offered to continue to coordinate on the issue with France, Germany and the European Union.
It was a contrast to a few days earlier when Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke on the phone to discuss the same issue.
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In that call, Wang continued to blame the expansion of US-led Nato for threatening Russia’s security environment, while Blinken warned that the world was watching China’s moves.
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Mass graves dug in besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol as locals bury their dead
Mass graves dug in besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol as locals bury their dead
Both the European Union and the United States are keen for China to take some kind of action to help restrain the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
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So far, China has continued to back its “most important strategic partner” and there is little sign suggesting that could change.
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