bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sponsorType

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Lo Hoi-ying

China’s top diplomat Wang Yi will seek to mend relationships with European countries while stepping up efforts to mediate in the Ukraine war during his visits to Europe and Russia, analysts said.
Wang’s trip from February 14 to 22 will take him to France, Hungary, Italy and Russia.
The timing of the journey has drawn attention as it lands just before the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24.
Wang will also attend the annual Munich Security Conference in Germany on Friday, the first senior Chinese official to do so in person since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
Top US and China diplomats weigh first meeting since balloon row
Analysts said Wang’s trip came at an opportune time for China to mend relationships with European countries, which have soured in general.
“For countries who are not [always aligned with] Nato, like Hungary and Italy, their relations with China have also been worsening in the past two years. Some economic relationships with central and eastern European countries, like those in the 16+1 trade group, have also been tense,” said Zhang Xin, associate professor of international relations at Shanghai East China Normal University.
The 16+1 trade group, formed a decade ago, is a forum intended for increasing Chinese trade and investment in central and eastern Europe. The group, which had 17 European members at its peak, saw Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia leave the agreement over the last two years due to tensions with Beijing.
“Part of the purpose of this trip is to ease tensions with these countries, so they feel less hostility towards China,” Zhang said.


Andrew Korybko, a political analyst based in Moscow, said Wang would have to work hard to reassure the European Union of China’s peaceful rise during his trip.
“This is to dissuade them [from] complying with the US pressure to decouple themselves from China in the event that there’s a pretext, like the Taiwan conflict, for Washington to advance that agenda,” he said.
Korybko said that while exploring ways to improve ties with Russia, Wang must also manage China’s relations with the US, as tensions simmer over alleged spy balloons.
According to China’s foreign ministry, Wang will address the controversy and explain Beijing’s position on other international issues at the security conference. In Russia, Wang intends to discuss bilateral relations “on international and regional issues of common concern”.
However, analysts do not expect China to take an aggressive stand on Ukraine with Russia, and will instead maintain the status quo.
China’s Wang Yi urges closer cooperation ahead of expected Macron visit
“China can offer to mediate talks between Russia and the region. But as to whether China will actively promote conversation or persuade either side, I don’t think that is the case,” Zhang said.
“China doesn’t have the ability or resources to resolve this conflict, and their stance on this matter will not change. All they can do is offer their opinion.”
Korybko agreed, adding that even constructive criticism from China would not likely be well received by Russia.
However, he said China would seek to boost economic ties with Russia, and discuss closer joint military cooperation, especially through regular annual drills.
Chinese President Xi Jinping had previously told Russian President Vladimir Putin that China was willing to play a constructive role in resolving the conflict.
Beijing has not condemned Moscow for the war. It declared a “no-limits” partnership with Russia early last year, causing tensions to flare between China and the European Union.
In light of new tensions over alleged Chinese spy balloons, and the cancellation of a China trip by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken amid growing US domestic pressure on the Biden administration to take a more hard-lined approach towards China, Beijing instead might seek to clarify its relations with Moscow to dispel perceptions of a so-called alliance, according to Korybko.
He said it appeared that Xi still wanted to mend relations with the US, and was cautious about portraying a “Sino-Russian alliance” against the West.
“It also explains why Wang is visiting Russia as part of a larger sojourn abroad, instead of only going to Moscow,” he said.


Analysts agreed that Wang’s visit to Russia might pave the way for a meeting between Putin and Xi later this spring.
“The unexpected challenge, however, is how President Xi will manage the Western and especially US optics of him meeting President Putin soon after the balloon incident. One possibility is to expand the Chinese leader’s schedule abroad to visit other countries too, perhaps some European ones, so that Beijing can preemptively manage these potential Western optics of his planned trip to Russia,” he said.
Additional reporting by Cyril Ip


Can Europe survive its crippling paralysis?

China-Europe travel market’s resilience keeps Air France-KLM optimistic despite headwinds

Nexperia, Wingtech set for fresh face-off in January with US$8 billion at stake

Airbus scores major win in China with orders for 148 A320 aircraft

China-EU relations

Easing tensions, mending ties – China’s top diplomat has long to-do list for Europe-Russia trip

China’s top diplomat Wang Yi must carefully manage his country’s position on the Ukraine war, while seeking to boost ties with Russia, analysts say. Photo: AP 

Global Impact: how much damage has the alleged spy balloon done to US-China relations?

The suspected Chinese spy balloon drifts to the ocean after being shot down off the coast in Surfside Beach, South Carolina. Photo: Reuters

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Photo: AFP

Photo: Reuters

Photo: Xinhua

Photo: AFP

Photo: Bloomberg

Photo: EPA-EFE

Photo: AP

Balloon saga: China accuses US of damaging Xi-Biden summit push for stable ties

China says its airship was a weather balloon while the US says it was for surveillance. Photo: Chase Doak/AFP

News

China

Diplomacy

With the stakes high for Beijing, Wang Yi must carefully manage China’s stance on Ukraine war, while boosting ties with Russia, analysts say
Diplomatic trip may clarify relations with Russia, pave the way for Xi-Putin meeting


With the stakes high for Beijing, Wang Yi must carefully manage China’s position on the Ukraine war, while boosting ties with Russia, analysts say.


China-Russia relations

Ukraine war