this post was submitted on 28 Jul 2023
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Cracking article.
The text mentions maintaining good relations with Russia and Ukraine. This is something of a surprise to me. Obviously all I've heard from western sources is that China is working with Russia. Now, I've not fallen for the rhetoric that China is 'supporting' the invasion in the same sense that NATO is supporting unending war from the Ukrainian side. That doesn't square with China's foreign policy. It's (i) projection, (ii) intended to smear China's good name (iii) woefully insufficient to achieve number (ii).
But do you know much about China's relationship with Ukraine? All I've seen is China working hard to bring the two sides to the negotiating table. That in itself is a lot, especially when NATO member states are doing everything they can to keep the war going. But is it more than that?
They've had good relations before the war, and they've retained contact throughout. I think China is trying to be the voice of reason and convince Ukraine to see sense. I think it's possible that it will ultimately be China that brokers peace.
Yep they've tried to broker peace, sending humanitarian supplies but were told to their face "fuck off, we want weapons not food/supplies".
China kept good relations with Ukraine since (except China keeping good relations with anyone they can of course) Ukraine was part important trade route to Europe and a big market for China on its own. This soured in 2021 iirc when Ukraine blocked chinese trade to force huge amounts of truck permits on Poland, so the alternate northen route was developed though Lithuania.
China have real problems with land exports to Europe since the Stupidity Belt countries are stupid and use Chinese trade as the tool for their shenanigans.
So part of the BRI is dealing with the BSI (belt of stupidity initiative).