Xi Jinping faces ‘wake up call’ as Ukraine fights back against Russia
Ukraine was 'has been a wake up call' for China says expert
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Rana Mitter, Professor of the History and Politics of Modern China, suggested Chinese President Xi Jingping had initially believed Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine would be “small-scale”. He added that once it had become clear that the offensive was against the whole nation of Ukraine, he likely thought the invasion would be a “slam dunk”.
But the invasion has lasted for more than a month and Ukrainian forces have begun to reclaim towns from Russian forces.
Professor Mitter told GB News: “When this started, [Jingping] thought this was going to be a slam dunk for Vladimir Putin and this would be a Russia China agreement very much at the top of changing the world agenda.
“But what’s happening now for China is an attempt to balance. So, you’ve got, on the one hand, the willingness to speak about helping a peace deal take place, but also, behind the scenes, not wanting Putin to fall.”
He added that wider chaos in the West could be prevented if China pressures President Putin to take up a peace deal with Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky indicated to independent Russian journalists on Sunday that the nation is ready for a ceasefire.
He suggested that Ukraine is willing to declare neutrality, abandon its attempts at joining Nato and promise not to develop nuclear weapons if Russian forces agree to withdraw.
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday that “there is a chance for an agreement.”
It was suggested that Moscow believes Nato has heard some of its security concerns and is thus willing to come back to the negotiation table, the state Tass news agency reported.
But Professor Mitter warned that it must not be forgotten that China “consider Russia to be their greatest ally or friend in terms of pushing back against Washington”.
President Xi will not want to see Russia pull out of Ukraine because of American influence.
The Chinese leader met Vladimir Putin in Beijing ahead of the Winter Olympics earlier this year, where the pair said there were “no limits” between them.
But as the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues, it appears Beijing could be re-evaluating the limitless relationship.
Over fears of western sanctions, China’s state-run Sinopec Group has pulled out of a $500million (£380million) deal to market Russian gas for Sibur in China.
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During a meeting with the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, officials from the three main energy companies were told to reconsider their ties to Russia.
China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) and China National Offshore Oil Corp (CNOOC) were the two other corporations present.
An executive at Sinopec told Reuters: “Companies will rigidly follow Beijing’s foreign policy in this crisis.
“There’s no room whatsoever for companies to take any initiatives in terms of new investment.”
The abrupt end to the investment could prove a blow to the Russian economy.
The Kremlin use a significant portion of money made from the sale of fossil fuels to fund its war efforts.
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