The war in Ukraine has been ongoing for well over two years. If Chinese President Xi Jinping believed that it seriously threatened China’s security or welfare, he would already have reacted, says political scientist Dylan Motin.
Russia n President Vladimir Putin is welcomed by Chinese President Xi Jinping during a ceremony at the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, China on Oct 17, 2023. SEOUL: “ Russia is so dependent on China right now that one phone call from President Xi Jinping would solve this crisis,” stated Finnish President Alexander Stubb when discussing the Ukraine war last week.
Still, Moscow’s dependency on Chinese support should not be overstated. Russia is a great power and one of the leading world economies, while Ukraine is a smaller nation short on money. A decrease in trade with China would undoubtedly harm Russia’s economic prospects, but it would do little to correct the power imbalance between Russia and Ukraine.
In any case, China is not Russia’s only enabler. The Kremlin can count on North Korea, Iran and even goods discreetly imported through third parties from the West.Still, debating potential Chinese pressure on Russia is moot since China has no interest in weakening Russia. The war in Ukraine has been ongoing for well over two years.
Conversely, a powerful Russia would help counterbalance Washington. If Mr Xi, too, decided to use force to solve the Taiwanese issue or other border conflicts, he would be happy to receive support from a strong Vladimir Putin.Commentary: 'Red lines' at Shangri-La Dialogue a reminder of need for new solutions to old problems. The more threatening Russia is, the less bandwidth the US has to contain China in the Indo-Pacific region.
Ukraine War Russian-Chinese Ties Russia
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