BEIJING -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called for the Ukraine crisis to be resolved through dialogue at an online press conference Monday, although he did not criticize the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Dissatisfaction is mounting in the international community toward the attempts by Chinese President Xi Jinping's administration to maintain strategic cooperation with Russia, with an eye on China's friction with the United States, while also seeking stable foreign relations ahead of the Chinese Communist Party's National Congress later this year.
Asked whether China was undermining its international position by refusing to condemn Russia, Wang said the "reasonable security concerns" of the parties involved must be taken into consideration. This can be interpreted as supporting Russia's opposition to the eastward expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
Wang did not criticize Russia in any way during the press conference. Instead, he said China "has been closely communicating with various parties," referring to a teleconference with Russian President Vladimir Putin after the start of the invasion on Feb. 24 as an example.
"The bigger the differences, the more necessary it is to sit down and negotiate," said Wang, expressing a willingness to mediate for the international community if necessary. He also referred to China's intention to provide humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, stressing that China is taking the situation seriously.
-- Managing public opinion
It remains to be seen whether China will actually engage in mediation. According to Chinese government sources, there is no consensus within the Xi administration on that possibility.
Yang Jiechi, China's top diplomat and a member of the CCP Politburo, is reportedly cautious, saying this is not the right time, as China would have to bear the responsibility for the outcome if it embarked on meditations now. Xi is said to share this view.
The Xi administration has been taking an equivocal position, trying to pursue the dual goals of cooperating with Russia, which shares China's anti-U.S. stance, and maintaining stable relations with other nations. Perhaps to make up for the gap, Beijing seems to be attempting to control public opinion critical of Russia.
Chinese social media contains almost no posts criticizing Russia. A statement posted online by a number of historians calling for a ceasefire in late February was deleted. As a result, only public opinion supporting Russia remains online. The Xi administration seems to be using this as a basis to advance its pro-Russia policy.
-- International backlash
The ambiguous stance of the Xi administration has been met with growing opposition from the international community, particularly from Western nations.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a CNN interview Sunday referred to China's repeated emphasis on sovereignty and pressed China to mediate with Russia, saying, "We would expect China, based on everything it's said in the past, to stand up and make its voice heard."
A resolution condemning Russia and calling for the immediate withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine was adopted at an emergency special session of the U.N. General Assembly on March 2 with overwhelming support from 141 countries. China, which abstained, has been strengthening its international influence by touting itself as a "representative of developing nations" at the United Nations and other venues.
However, many developing nations are now criticizing Russia. If China continues to paralyze the U.N. Security Council along with Russia, it may result in developing countries distancing themselves from China.
Relations between the United States and Europe, weakened under former U.S. President Donald Trump's administration, are rapidly being strengthened, as are relations with Japan, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Depending on China's response, pressure from Japan, the United States and Europe could further intensify, which might affect the Xi administration's global strategy.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
