The Russia-Ukraine War and China: Neutrality with Imperial Characteristics
Journal: Central European University Press eBooks
Year: 2023

IntroductionIf we look at China's aspirations and concerns in the global space, it is safe to say that the war in Ukraine has been a distinctly disturbing factor for China.As Qin Gang, the then ambassador to Washington who has since become foreign minister, put it, it is an "unwanted conflict." 1 We do not know whether Xi Jinping encouraged Vladimir Putin when they met in Beijing on February 4, just before the war broke out, or whether there was no talk of war, which is hard to imagine, given th