Western Nations Wary As China, Russia Move Closer Together

By Daisuke Kawase / Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent

17:21 JST, February 22, 2023

China’s top diplomat Wang Yi held a series of meetings with senior Russian officials in Moscow on Wednesday, with the United States and Europe wary of the increasingly close ties between China and Russia.

The situation in Ukraine and a planned visit to Russia by Chinese President Xi Jinping, which Moscow has been calling for, were likely to feature in discussions between Russian officials and Wang, a member of the Chinese Communist Party Politburo.

Beijing appears poised to cooperate with Moscow to counter Washington amid growing tension with the United States over a Chinese surveillance balloon.

China has also criticized Western nations that are supporting Ukraine.

In a Tuesday press conference, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said “major countries” should not “fan the flames” of conflict, regarding U.S. President Joe Biden’s Ukraine visit.

Wang Yi’s visit might also be part of Moscow’s attempts to put pressure on Western nations, by touting the close relationship with Beijing after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s state of the nation address.

The United States and European nations suspect China might provide military support to Russia, enabling it to intensify its invasion. Beijing is also thought to be behind a loophole in sanctions against Russia. Amid such circumstances, Western nations are watching Wang’s trip closely.

When U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Wang in Munich on Saturday, he reportedly warned China against providing support to Russian military forces.

In an interview with the German newspaper Welt, published on Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, if China sides with Russia, there would be a world war, and he thinks China is aware of that fact.