He's standing next to Russia, but China is making trouble for the Russian invasion in Ukraine

The Russian attack on Ukraine, which China refuses to condemn or call an invasion, has led Beijing to step up diplomatic efforts to limit the damage until it rests in the arms of a partner who is raising his objections to the West.

China has reportedly called for dialogue and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has told several European officials during telephone conversations held on February 25th that China respects the sovereignty of states, including Ukraine, but Russia's concerns about expanding NATO eastward must be addressed properly.

After a conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, China said Putin was willing to engage in the “high-level dialogue” with Ukraine. Russia and Ukraine agreed to meet near the border between Belarus and Ukraine.

The diplomatic novel comes after the invasion, which some diplomats in Beijing believe was a surprise to China, a state that did not tell its citizens to leave Ukraine prematurely and a state that has repeatedly accused the United States of pushing ahead warnings of a Russian attack.

This week Beijing, which is facing criticism because of his attitude towards Ukraine, did not indicate whether Putin had informed China that he was planning to start the invasion. But, China has said Russia is independent and does not need its consent.

Beijing's foreign policy is based on non-intervention in the internal affairs of other states, and has not yet recognised Russia's claim on the Ukrainian Crimea Peninsula, which Moscow has annexed illegally in 2014.

Their first “reaction denying that an invasion was taking place was surprising to us”, said a Western diplomat in Beijing, who refused to be identified because of the topic's sensitivity.

“is a total contradiction with their attitude towards sovereignty, territorial integrity and non-intervention”.

Three weeks ago, Putin met with Xi prior to the launch of the Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, and they signed a series of strategic agreements aimed at opposing US influence. The two leaders said they don't have the <x0) restricted co-operation”.

The attack on Ukraine, a country where China is the largest trading partner of $19 billion and with which there are good diplomatic reports, occurred several days after the Olympics ended.

My “My lesson is that their initial instinct was to follow the line they had followed following the Crimea annexation in 2014, which worked very well for them, as China managed to stay away from disputes”, said Helena Legarde, analyst at the Mercator Institute for China Studies, headquartered in Germany.

Legarda said there is now more geopolitical competition than in 2014, and China is now under closer scrutiny.

“People are now looking more carefully and we will not take sides, but we will look to the shadows no longer is the” option, she said.

Test for European Reports

Beijing's reports with Washington have deteriorated over the years, and its diplomatic support for Russia could speed up the deterioration of reports with Western Europe, China's largest export market, some analysts said, even though some believe China has left room for maneuvering.

“We understand Russia, but we also have our consideration”, said Yang Cheng, professor at Shanghai International University. He is one of those who has been surprised by the Russian attack on Ukraine.

But it won't be the case that our reports with the West will not be affected at all”

On February 25th in New York, China abstained in voting for a draft UN Security Council resolution aimed at condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

This abstention, viewed as a victory by Western states, and occurred in recent moments, following negotiations between the US and others to ensure that China's abstention, diplomats said.

Last month, Xi marked the 30th anniversary of the reports with Ukraine, praising “mutual political confidence”. Ukraine is part of the Belt and Street initiative, an initiative of infrastructure and diplomacy that China has undertaken to draw up reports with Europe.

The crisis in Ukraine creates uncertainty about China in the year when it needs stability, as Xi is expected to win the third mandate during the fall.

“This is the unfavourable situation Russia has introduced China, which was unprepared for such a thing”, said Wu Qiang, an independent political analyst in Beijing.