China Reveals Its Stance Amid Ukraine War: "Does Not Want Russia to Lose"

Wang Yi: "If Russia Loses the War

The US Will Focus Solely on Containing China"

Putin Rejects Trump's Ceasefire Proposal

Hong Kong's South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported on the 4th, citing sources, that Wang Yi, the Chinese Foreign Minister, stated: "China does not want Russia to lose the war in Ukraine." According to SCMP, Minister Wang held talks with Kaja Kallas, the European Union (EU) High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, in Brussels on the 2nd (local time). He said, "If Russia is defeated, the United States will fully pressure China," expressing that China does not wish for Russia's defeat. This stance contradicts China's previous position that "China is not a party to the Ukraine situation." However, Minister Wang denied allegations of military and financial assistance, saying, "If China had actually provided support, the war would have already ended." Wang's remarks reveal China's strategic interest in the prolongation of the Ukraine war.

The war in Ukraine is one of the factors creating friction between the EU and China. The EU has criticized China for supplying 'dual-use' items that can be used for both military and civilian purposes to Russia. China, on the other hand, has denied this. Nonetheless, China has never openly criticized Russia's invasion and continues to maintain close ties with Russia. Ahead of the China-EU summit scheduled in three weeks, the EU reportedly could not hide its embarrassment at Wang's hardline message. Some assess that the initially expected "conciliatory atmosphere" has essentially disappeared.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a phone call with US President Donald Trump on the 3rd, stated he would not abandon his war objectives "until the root causes of the invasion of Ukraine are eliminated." He thus rejected President Trump's ceasefire proposal.

Reporter Lee Hyein hey@hankyung.com