The Kremlin claimed on Wednesday that Chinese dictator Xi Jinping affirmed the “legitimacy” of Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, a major departure if true from China’s previous agnostic stance and a differing account from the Chinese government’s report of Xi’s statements.
The remarks in question reportedly occurred during a phone call between Xi and Russian leader Vladimir Putin on Wednesday as part of a larger conversation on bilateral ties that the Chinese Foreign Ministry claims was more closely focused on economic cooperation, not the Ukrainian war. China has meticulously toed the line between Russia and Ukraine since the eight-year-old conflict escalated into air attacks on Kyiv in February, calling vaguely for a diplomatic resolution without blaming either side.
The Kremlin readout of the phone call would indicate that Xi has significantly altered China’s foreign policy to support Russia’s invasion at Ukraine’s expense. Ukraine is a member of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) debt trap plan and President Volodymyr Zelensky has refused to criticize Beijing’s neutrality on the issue.
“The presidents stated that Russian-Chinese relations were at an all-time high and are constantly improving,” the Kremlin relayed. “They reaffirmed their commitment to consistently deepen the comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction in all areas.”
“Vladimir Putin laid out his principled assessment of the situation in Ukraine and the tasks being tackled during the special military operation,” the readout continued. “The President of China noted the legitimacy of Russia’s actions to protect fundamental national interests in the face of challenges to its security created by external forces.”
The Kremlin described the phone call as “warm and friendly.”
The Chinese Foreign Ministry pointedly omitted any defense by Xi of the “legitimacy” of the Ukraine invasion in his remarks to Putin.
“The Chinese side stands ready to work with the Russian side to push for steady and long-term development of practical bilateral cooperation, Xi said,” according to the Foreign Ministry. “China is willing to work with Russia to continue supporting each other on their respective core interests concerning sovereignty and security, as well as on their major concerns.”
The Foreign Ministry offered little detail on the two dictators’ conversation regarding Ukraine.
“The two heads of state also exchanged views on the Ukraine issue. Xi emphasized that China has always independently assessed the situation on the basis of the historical context and the merits of the issue, and actively promoted world peace and the stability of the global economic order,” according to the Chinese government. “All parties should push for a proper settlement of the Ukraine crisis in a responsible manner, Xi said, adding that China for this purpose will continue to play its due role.”
The Foreign Ministry did not use the word “legitimacy” or address the topic.
Xi’s call to Putin occurred less than a week after Zelensky told the Washington Post that the world should unite to protect Taiwan from a Chinese invasion before the attack occurs, contrasting that situation to Ukraine’s, which is now receiving support only after eight years of Russian and Russian proxy assault. The timing suggests that Xi was directly responding to what he may have considered offensive comments by the Ukrainian leader.
“We must not leave them behind at the mercy of another country which is more powerful … if there is a way out diplomatically, we need to use the diplomatic way,” Zelensky told the Washington Post. “But it must be a preemptive way, not the one that comes after the war has started.”
Chinese state media did not reveal any outrage against Zelensky personally, instead claiming that the Washington Post was “pathetic” for asking Zelensky about Taiwan at all and emphasizing that Zelensky did not name Taiwan or China directly in his comments.
Taiwan is a democratic sovereign country off the coast of China. China insists that Taiwan is a “province” of China and that its legitimate government is a rogue “separatist” entity. The Chinese Communist Party forces all countries that wish to have diplomatic relations with it, including the United States, to falsely deny Taiwan’s sovereignty.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry has adamantly rejected comparisons between Ukraine and Taiwan – to Ukraine’s benefit, insisting that Ukraine is a sovereign state while Taiwan is not.
“Taiwan is for sure not Ukraine,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said in February. “Taiwan has always been an inalienable part of China’s territory. This is an indisputable historical and legal fact.”
In announcing the latest phase of the eight-year-old war against Ukraine, Putin declared in February that Ukraine “was completely created by Russia” and not a legitimate state, contrary to Hua’s assertions.
“Ukraine has never had stable traditions of their own statehood,” Putin claimed. “Starting from 1991, they followed the path of the mechanical copying of foreign models that had nothing to do with their history or with the Ukrainian realities.”
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