(PLO)- The fact that the US and China visited Kiev and Moscow at the same time in the context of the Russia-Ukraine war for a year has attracted great attention.
US President Joe Biden unexpectedly arrived in Kiev on the morning of February 20. The head of the Office of the Central Committee for Foreign Affairs of the Communist Party of China (China) Wang Yi will visit Moscow this week as part of an eight-day European tour, according to radio. CNN.
President Biden arrived in Poland in the early followingnoon of February 20 following a brief visit to Kiev to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, announcing a new aid package of more than 500 million USD and pledging to “firmly support” Ukraine in the war. with Russia. Meanwhile, according to a news agency source TASS (Russia), Mr. Wang is expected to arrive in Moscow on the followingnoon of February 21 (local time).
The fact that the US and China visited Kiev and Moscow at the same time in the context of the Russia-Ukraine war for a year has attracted great attention from observers.
Efforts to balance China’s diplomacy
Relations between China and Russia have remained close since the leaders declared their friendship “without limits” a year ago. CNN partly due to the general confrontation with the US. The Kremlin said Wang is likely to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“The agenda is clear and very inclusive. We have a lot to talk regarding,” Interfax news agency quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying at a press conference on February 20, related to Wang Yi’s visit to Moscow.
According to a statement from the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Wang’s visit to Russia will provide an opportunity for China and Russia to further develop their strategic partnership and “exchange views” on “international hot spots and issues”. area of mutual interest” – a phrase often used to refer to topics including the conflict in Ukraine.
“China is willing to see this visit as an opportunity and cooperate with Russia to promote the sustainable development of bilateral relations in the direction determined by the leaders of the two countries, thereby protecting the legitimate rights and interests of both countries,” he said. the two sides and play an active role in world peace,” the statement said.
Wang’s visit might also pave the way for President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Moscow later this year. Putin sent an invitation to Xi during a customary phone call late last year between the two leaders, but China’s foreign ministry has yet to confirm any plans.
Wang’s planned trip to Moscow is the first visit by a senior Chinese official to Russia since the Russia-Ukraine conflict began. According to the company’s information Archyde.com If he knows, it is possible that Mr. Wang will discuss the Ukraine war during his visit to Moscow. Observers say Wang’s trip to Europe will focus on China’s efforts to balance diplomacy since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine a year ago.
At the Munich Security Conference (Germany) on February 18, Wang spent many affirmations of China’s commitment to promoting peace in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, announcing Beijing’s plan to propose a “political solution to the Ukraine crisis” on the occasion of the one-year anniversary of hostilities.
In Budapest (Hungary) on February 20, Wang said China would be “willing to work with other peace-loving countries to put an end to the current hostilities as soon as possible”. Song follow CNN, many Western leaders are not convinced. European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen told CNN “We need more evidence that China is not cooperating with Russia and we are not seeing that right now.”
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Wang Yi, head of the Office of the Central Committee for Foreign Affairs of the Communist Party of China, speaks at the Munich Security Conference on February 18. Photo: AP |
The US and China argue over Russia – Ukraine
Relations between the US and China continue to deteriorate, most recently from the US shooting down of a Chinese hot air balloon that flew into its airspace. The context of the two trips of Mr. Biden and Mr. Wang, which took place just a few days before the anniversary of the first year of hostilities (February 24, 2022), further emphasizes the gap between the two world superpowers, according to the report. CNN.
The US alleges that China is considering strengthening its partnership with Moscow by providing the Russian military with “lethal support” for Russia’s use on the Ukrainian battlefield. Last weekend, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that it is closely monitoring any moves by China related to this. During a meeting with Mr. Wang in Munich, Mr. Blinken also raised the issue, warning of “its effects and consequences”.
Answer radio interview CBS On February 19, US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield emphasized that if China or any other country considers supporting Russia’s war effort with lethal weapons, that action is “crossing the line”. red line” and unacceptable.
European Union (EU) foreign policy commissioner Josep Borrell also warned China not to cross “red lines” and provide lethal weapons to Russia. Mr. Borrell said this will strongly affect relations between China and the whole bloc.
In response, on February 20, China’s Foreign Ministry criticized the US for “pushling responsibility, blaming and spreading false information”. According to China’s Foreign Ministry, “it is the US side, not the Chinese side, that provides a steady supply of weapons to the battlefield. The US side is not qualified to convince China, and we will never accept the US ordering or even putting pressure on Sino-Russian relations.”
China not only criticized the countries supplying advanced weapons to Ukraine, but also criticized the West’s unprecedented economic sanctions once morest Russia. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China urges the US to make serious efforts to defuse the situation, promote peace and dialogue.•
VU Cuong
