>Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told the European Union’s top diplomat on Wednesday that Beijing cannot afford a Russian loss in Ukraine because it fears the United States would then shift its whole focus to Beijing, according to several people familiar with the exchange.
>The comment, to the EU’s Kaja Kallas, would confirm what many in Brussels believe to be Beijing’s position but jar with China’s public utterances. The foreign minstry regularly says China is “not a party” to the war. Some EU officials involved were surprised by the frankness of Wang’s remarks.
>Wang is said to have rejected, however, the accusation that China was materially supporting Russia’s war effort, financially or militarily, insisting that if it was doing so, the conflict would have ended long ago.
>Some EU officials felt he was giving her a lesson in realpolitik, part of which focused on Beijing’s belief that Washington will soon turn its full attention eastward, two officials said.
>One interpretation of Wang’s statement in Brussels is that while China did not ask for the war, its prolongation may suit Beijing’s strategic needs, so long as the US remains engaged in Ukraine.
>The tone of Wednesday’s dialogue was said to be respectful, if tense. Nonetheless, some insiders were surprised by the harshness of Wang’s message, just three weeks out from an important leaders’ summit in China. Any appearance of a charm offensive is seen to have evaporated.
>The sources said Wang told Kallas the two-day summit itself could be truncated – in a hint that Beijing is not happy with how the EU is positioning itself ahead of the event.
>The bloc is set to blacklist two small Chinese banks for flouting its sanctions on Russia, in its 18th package of measures against Moscow, which is awaiting final approval from its 27 member states. On this point, Wang repeatedly vowed to retaliate if the lenders are ultimately listed.
>It continues to take Beijing to task on trade matters, with dozens of investigations into subsidies, dumping and other market-distorting practices under way or in the works.
>More recently, the sides clashed on Chinese restrictions on the export of rare earth elements and magnets, which have caused some European companies to stop manufacturing lines.
!ping UKRAINE&FOREIGN-POLICY
BATIRONSHARK on
well at least there honest
GlaberTheFool on
Is a Russian victory also that beneficial for China? The US will pivot from Ukraine all the same and you get a stronger, more independent Russia.
These comments from the Chinese FM will just give the Trump admin the extra impetus to dump Ukraine.
datums on
> Wang was said to have given Kallas – the former Estonian prime minister who only late last year took up her role as the bloc’s de facto foreign affairs chief – several “history lessons and lectures”.
That’s how you can tell he’s a real socialist.
Glavurdan on
I propose then China instead grow closer to the EU, help them eliminate Russia, and then both of them can focus their attention on the US under the current unhinged administration
obsessed_doomer on
“Europe will just pivot to embrace China”-actual upvoted opinion on this sub
throwaway_veneto on
The timing of the leak (right after the US stopped sending some material to Ukraine) suggests it’s a way to get Trump take the bait and start supporting Ukraine again. Let’s hope he’s as naive as Kallas thinks.
Boring-Journalist-14 on
Realpolitik koolaid
America’s whole focus is already on China.
China is failing to divert America’s attention to Russia while suffering real costs to its relations with Europe.
What China could be doing is come aggressively together with Europe to promote solutions to climate change, join Europe in creating a new resolution body apart from the WTO(That the US froze), i.e, stepping into America’s traditional role as a stabilizing force, at America’s loss.
8 Comments
>Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told the European Union’s top diplomat on Wednesday that Beijing cannot afford a Russian loss in Ukraine because it fears the United States would then shift its whole focus to Beijing, according to several people familiar with the exchange.
>The comment, to the EU’s Kaja Kallas, would confirm what many in Brussels believe to be Beijing’s position but jar with China’s public utterances. The foreign minstry regularly says China is “not a party” to the war. Some EU officials involved were surprised by the frankness of Wang’s remarks.
>Wang is said to have rejected, however, the accusation that China was materially supporting Russia’s war effort, financially or militarily, insisting that if it was doing so, the conflict would have ended long ago.
>Some EU officials felt he was giving her a lesson in realpolitik, part of which focused on Beijing’s belief that Washington will soon turn its full attention eastward, two officials said.
>One interpretation of Wang’s statement in Brussels is that while China did not ask for the war, its prolongation may suit Beijing’s strategic needs, so long as the US remains engaged in Ukraine.
>The tone of Wednesday’s dialogue was said to be respectful, if tense. Nonetheless, some insiders were surprised by the harshness of Wang’s message, just three weeks out from an important leaders’ summit in China. Any appearance of a charm offensive is seen to have evaporated.
>The sources said Wang told Kallas the two-day summit itself could be truncated – in a hint that Beijing is not happy with how the EU is positioning itself ahead of the event.
>The bloc is set to blacklist two small Chinese banks for flouting its sanctions on Russia, in its 18th package of measures against Moscow, which is awaiting final approval from its 27 member states. On this point, Wang repeatedly vowed to retaliate if the lenders are ultimately listed.
>It continues to take Beijing to task on trade matters, with dozens of investigations into subsidies, dumping and other market-distorting practices under way or in the works.
>More recently, the sides clashed on Chinese restrictions on the export of rare earth elements and magnets, which have caused some European companies to stop manufacturing lines.
!ping UKRAINE&FOREIGN-POLICY
well at least there honest
Is a Russian victory also that beneficial for China? The US will pivot from Ukraine all the same and you get a stronger, more independent Russia.
These comments from the Chinese FM will just give the Trump admin the extra impetus to dump Ukraine.
> Wang was said to have given Kallas – the former Estonian prime minister who only late last year took up her role as the bloc’s de facto foreign affairs chief – several “history lessons and lectures”.
That’s how you can tell he’s a real socialist.
I propose then China instead grow closer to the EU, help them eliminate Russia, and then both of them can focus their attention on the US under the current unhinged administration
“Europe will just pivot to embrace China”-actual upvoted opinion on this sub
The timing of the leak (right after the US stopped sending some material to Ukraine) suggests it’s a way to get Trump take the bait and start supporting Ukraine again. Let’s hope he’s as naive as Kallas thinks.
Realpolitik koolaid
America’s whole focus is already on China.
China is failing to divert America’s attention to Russia while suffering real costs to its relations with Europe.
What China could be doing is come aggressively together with Europe to promote solutions to climate change, join Europe in creating a new resolution body apart from the WTO(That the US froze), i.e, stepping into America’s traditional role as a stabilizing force, at America’s loss.