Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 326

The Ukraine Invasion: What Lessons Is China Learning?

In the morning of February 24, Russian military forces launched a comprehensive invasion of Ukraine, and Western governments immediately announced a new round of sanctionsagainst Russia. Beijing’s public statements have been as ambiguous as ever, expressing respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, yet at the same time expressing understanding of Russia’s security

China rattled by calls for Japan to host US nuclear weapons

China has reacted angrily to calls by Japan’s influential former prime minister, Shinzo Abe, for Tokyo to consider hosting US nuclear weapons in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and rising concern over Chinese aggression towards Taiwan. Abe, who presided over record defence budgets before resigning in 2020, said Japan should cast off taboos surrounding its possession of nuclear weapons

China signals willingness to mediate in Ukraine-Russia war

China has signalled its willingness to play a mediator role in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine as the war entered its sixth day. In his first phone call with his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba, since the outbreak of the war, China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, said on Tuesday that Beijing “laments” the outbreak of the conflict and is “extremely concerned” about the harm to civilians,

Ukraine: China’s Burning Bridge to Europe?

As the world monitors Russia’s military buildup on the Ukrainian border, the actions of China, Russia’s strategic partner, are worth watching as well. China has been Ukraine’s top trade partner since 2020 and views Ukraine as a critical entrepôt for its Belt and Road Initiative ambitions. Agricultural exports from Ukraine have also become important for China in the wake of the China-U.S. trade

China Was Woefully Unprepared for the Russia-Ukraine War

While countries around the world warned their citizens to avoid traveling to Ukraine before the imminent military conflict, China did not take significant actions until the day Russia started its invasion. Instead, it downplayed the potential for conflict and thus missed the chance to safely evacuate Chinese citizens.The information posted by the Chinese Embassy to Ukraine showed that the Chinese

China’s Muddled Ukraine Response Feeds Rare Domestic Debate

As China holds off in publicly criticizing Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, a rare debate has emerged on Chinese social media over the military action by a close diplomatic partner. Images of global anti-war protests -- including in Russia -- circulated on China’s Twitter-like Weibo over the weekend, as Putin’s forces shelled Ukrainian cities. Articles mocking Russia’s

Why the Chinese Internet Is Cheering Russia’s Invasion

If President Vladimir V. Putin is looking for international support and approval for his invasion of Ukraine, he can turn to the Chinese internet. Its users have called him “Putin the Great,” “the best legacy of the former Soviet Union” and “the greatest strategist of this century.” They have chastised Russians who protested against the war, saying they had been brainwashed by the United

China says it opposes sanctions after SWIFT ban on Russian banks

China's foreign ministry on Monday (Feb 28) reiterated its opposition to the use of what it calls illegal and unilateral sanctions, after Western countries moved to block some Russian banks from the SWIFT international payments system. Foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin, speaking at a regular daily news briefing, also brushed off a call from the White House on Sunday for China to condemn

ndia walks tightrope over calls for Russia’s isolation

India’s decision to abstain from voting on a U.N. Security Council resolution demanding that Russia cease its invasion of Ukraine does not mean support for Moscow, experts said, but reflects New Delhi’s reliance on its Cold War ally for energy, weapons and support in conflicts with neighbors. India on Friday regretted countries giving up the path of diplomacy but refrained from voting along with

Ukraine: Why India is not criticising Russia over invasion

India has had to walk a diplomatic tightrope over Ukraine in the past few days as it tried to balance its ties with Moscow and the West. Delhi's first statement in the UN Security Council (UNSC) did not name any country directly but it said it regretted that calls from the international community to give diplomacy and dialogue a chance had not been heeded.It, however, stopped short of criticising