Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) gestures while speaking to Chinese leader Xi Jinping during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on Sept. 16, 2022. Sergei Bobylev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi recently told the EU’s top diplomat that China does not want Russia to fail in Ukraine because Beijing wants to keep the United States distracted—emphasizing that a Russian collapse would allow the United States to redirect its strategic focus toward Beijing.
This statement, to EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, raised eyebrows internationally, as it departs from China’s long-standing claims of neutrality regarding the war.
