This Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was in Brussels for a meeting with the head of European diplomacy Kaja Kallas. Mr. Wang also met the Minister of Foreign Affairs Maxime Prévot and the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen in the wake.
During his initial meeting, Wang Yi made surprisingly direct remarks about the conflict between Ukraine to Russia for several years now: China cannot afford a defeat of Russia. This declaration, relayed by the South China Morning Post, marks a break with the usual prudence of Beijing on the subject.
Behind this position is hidden a strategic reading of the conflict: as long as the United States and Europe remain focused on Ukraine, China can continue its ambitions more serenely in the Indo-Pacific region, and in particular around Taiwan. On the contrary, a weakened Russia is likely to release geopolitical attention from the West to this area of ​​the world, which Beijing wishes to avoid at all costs.
Even if China officially claims not to provide military aid to Russia, its actions suggest an indirect involvement. Double use equipment – civil and military – continue to feed the Russian war economy. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky himself accused Beijing of promoting Moscow while blocking drone sales in kyiv and his allies.
Wang Yi has confirmed that Russia benefits from the political support of China and that, for Beijing, a Western victory in Ukraine would be a major strategic loss. This declaration, according to sources present during the interview, is similar to a lesson in “realpolitik” given to the European Union.
These words come as Western support in Ukraine shows signs of breathlessness. The Pentagon has temporarily suspended certain deliveries of weapons essential to Ukraine.
