China and the West: There is a risk of open rupture Russian action: “Incompetent and ridiculous at first glance, but…”

Beijing actually wants to make peace. This is stated in a position paper “on the political solution to the Ukraine crisis”, which was presented by the Chinese government on Friday. However, in the eyes of Western diplomats, the document does not help Russia’s war of aggression to come to a quick end. On the contrary, the 12-point plan has the potential to deepen the rift that has opened up between Washington and Beijing.

The initial reaction of the US government was therefore nothing short of icy. Jake Sullivan, the senior security adviser to US President Joe Biden, told CNN of the peace plan: “My first reaction was that it could have stopped after the first point” after the “sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of all nations.” , which must be “effectively” preserved, had been mentioned.

In Washington’s eyes, this point is non-negotiable – Russia attacked a sovereign state a year ago, also violating the United Nations charter. Representatives of the Biden administration therefore say like a prayer wheel: the fastest way to end the war is for Russian President Vladimir Putin to withdraw all troops from Ukraine.

That is ultimately the opinion of the government in Kiev. When Biden made a surprise visit to the Ukrainian capital on Monday, President Volodymyr Zelensky referred to his “peace formula” during a joint appearance, which Washington also supports in “many aspects”.

Beijing maintains its pro-Russian stance

China, however, seems to have a different view, sticking to its earlier stance, which experts have described as “pro-Russian neutrality” – with a particular emphasis on “pro-Russian”. When the UN General Assembly in New York voted on Thursday to withdraw Russian troops, 141 of the 193 member states voted in favor of the non-binding resolution. China, however, abstained from voting.

The precariousness of this Chinese strategy is reflected in state media reports: While they mentioned the United Nations General Assembly in their articles, they were curiously silent about how China voted. It seems as if the Chinese propaganda apparatus wants to sweep the obvious contradiction under the rug: on the one hand, they want to be seen as a “peace-loving” nation, while at the same time openly celebrating a “boundless friendship” with Moscow.

It is fitting that President Xi Jinping reportedly wants to travel to Russia “in the coming months”, as reported by the “Wall Street Journal”. After Biden’s daring Kiev trip, this would be an obvious contrast. Meanwhile, China’s so-called peace initiative is likely to be well received in the Kremlin. After all, the Chinese never take the word ‘war’ out of their mouths, instead the government continues to use the euphemistic term ‘crisis’. Or, as a user of the Chinese online platform Weibo says on the position paper: “In short, support Russia and Putin!”

Moreover, a research study by “Spiegel” makes China’s peace initiative seem highly hypocritical. The magazine revealed that the Xi’an Bingo Intelligent Aviation Technology company was behind the scenes negotiating the delivery of 100 kamikaze drones to the Russian Ministry of Defense. These can each carry a warhead of up to 50 kilograms and can be used primarily against Ukrainian energy infrastructure and the civilian population.

While the State Department continues to deny arms sales to Russia, it is noteworthy that it has not addressed the specific allegations. Interestingly, China’s propaganda apparatus is also evasive: Beijing’s nationalist social media influencers argue that the accused company, according to the national company register, is a small private company that may have acted without government approval.

This is not very credible, especially since Xi’an Bingo Intelligent Aviation Technology was founded by scientists from Northwestern Polytechnical University – one of the leading military universities that works closely with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army.

China comes up with a peace plan that is of little use to Ukraine and the West. In reality, China is no different from Putin – and could now even provide him with killer drones. The ditch in the west becomes menacingly deep.