CHINA-RUSSIA: CHINESE OFFICIAL RHETORIC SUPPORTING RUSSIA IN WAR AGAINST UKRAINE HAS INCREASED
China Brief (June 15) stated that perhaps emboldened by Russian advances in the Donbas,
China has offered stronger rhetorical support for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion
of Ukraine. It said in a recent call with Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping praised Russia’s
need to protect its security. Chinese state media blames the United States for the war as well
as for promoting conspiracy theorists and propagandists. Nevertheless, Chinese institutions
have steered clear of violating U.S. sanctions. Russian institutions are having trouble
processing yuan transactions. Meanwhile, some misleading commentary has suggested that
China is adopting the language of “special operations” from Russia’s own euphemism for its
invasion of Ukraine. But this terminology has been part of China’s use-of-force spectrum for
years; it’s unlikely the Russian example is an inspiration.
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