US and China meet to seek a solution over Ukraine
China and the United States meet in Rome. This meeting, framed in the midst of the invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops, also comes at a time when China has denied that Moscow has asked for military support to continue the invasion, which has increased diplomatic tensions between Washington and Beijing.
The meeting will feature US security adviser Jake Sullivan and China's top diplomat Yang Jiechi. In this situation and before the meeting, the United States has informed that during the meeting it will warn Beijing of the risks and economic punishments it will face if it decides to help Moscow militarily.
China, however, speaks of "disinformation". Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijan said that the Russian request "is completely false, it is pure disinformation. China has stated its position on the crisis in Ukraine clearly and consistently. We play a constructive role and assess the situation impartially and independently. Denigrating China's position is not acceptable".
On the other hand, US officials quoted by CNN and The New York Times state that China may have provided military assistance to Russia, noting that such assistance, if provided, would "change the balance of power" and also serve as a counterweight to Western-imposed economic sanctions. In response, Jake Sullivan declared that "we will make sure that China and no other country can compensate Russia for these losses".
Thus, The New York Times has reported that Russia is reportedly asking China for economic aid in order to be able to cope with the sanctions. Even so, as far as the Russian-Ukrainian conflict is concerned, China is trying to maintain a certain degree of equidistance. In this sense, China has already offered to act as an intermediary between Russia and Ukraine, something that the EU viewed positively due to Beijing's influence in Moscow, even though China has refrained from condemning the Russian attacks or calling them an 'invasion'. Its "slanted" neutrality due to its strategic partnership and partnership of convenience with Russia is balanced by its commitment to a "multipolar" world.
Likewise, Chinese spokespersons have reiterated that Beijing has opposed unilateral sanctions because they are not an instrument that brings "peace and security" but rather "serious economic hardship to the inhabitants of the affected countries". The equidistance that Beijing tries to maintain in this area also responds to China's interest in maintaining close relations with the EU.
In this sense, Beijing tries to avoid any armed confrontation. In this way, China's modus operandi in expanding its influence differs substantially from that of other international powers. Although public defence spending in China accounts for 4.69% of total public expenditure, it is worth noting that China does not have a military alliance.
What most resembles such an alliance is the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, which is made up of China, Iran, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, i.e. the former republics that made up the Soviet space with the exception of Iran, China and India. This agreement provides for cooperation in terms of regional security, counter-terrorism and the fight against independence.
In this way, China has managed to establish itself as one of the most important international powers without having to engage in military confrontation, at least in this century. Along these lines, Beijing has managed to maintain pacts and agreements with five countries with which it was at war in the 20th century, namely Japan, South Korea, India, Russia and Vietnam, above all in terms of trade. With this dynamic, China is pursuing a line of global expansion that follows what the Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu advocated, "to subdue the enemy without fighting is the supreme excellence".
Relations with the United States are not free of frostiness. One of the most divisive issues between the two powers is Taiwan. While Beijing claims its legitimate sovereignty over the island, the United States maintains a principle of strategic ambiguity, although US President Joe Biden has already made a statement on the matter, stressing that he would not hesitate to defend Taiwan in the event of an attack.
Even so, Biden's statements were qualified by White House spokesmen who declared that Washington maintains its position of support for Taiwan and its backing for self-defence in the event of aggression.
Likewise, the departure of the United States during Donald Trump's presidency from the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP), an agreement that does not include China, brought some rejoicing to Beijing. In this vein, the TPP was one of former president Barack Obama's main axes for containing China's commercial power in the Asia-Pacific region. In fact, for Obama, a political shift towards the Pacific was necessary in order to contain China's influence.
Now the meeting in Rome has taken on a different tone. The United States is meeting with China in order to find a peaceful and diplomatic solution to the conflict in Ukraine, a dispute in which China stands to gain much in Europe and internationally if it can act as an intermediary. As the High Representative for the European Union, Josep Borrell, pointed out, China "is a country that can play a very important role, if it wants to, in the search for a diplomatic solution to end the crisis".
Meanwhile, Kiev, increasingly under siege, is trying to hold out in the face of ever more relentless Russian attacks. More than 2.8 million Ukrainians have left Ukraine as the conflict enters its 19th day of war. Via video conference later in the day Ukraine and Russia, as well as the United States and China, will meet with the aim of reaching an agreement, but a full ceasefire is not yet on the table.
Americas Coordinator: José Antonio Sierra
