EU-China summit: Beijing's role in the Ukraine war
The 23rd EU-China summit will take place on the first of April via video conference. The main topic will be the war in Ukraine and its global repercussions. China has declared itself neutral in the conflict and has not condemned the Russian invasion. But while continuing to maintain good relations with Moscow, Beijing has also said that Ukraine has the right to sovereignty.
Ascendency in the shadow of the events
Financial expert and consultant Jorge Costa Oliveira explains in Diário de Notícias:
“Concerned about Nato enlargement and the security of Russia's borders, China has asserted its neutrality. ... The main reason lies in the desire to accelerate change in a world where the US is no longer the leading superpower. And the more the US focuses on Europe, the less time it will devote to the Far East, reducing the pressure to stop China's ascendency. There is also the temptation to exploit the economic weakness of its 'key strategic partner' to bring Chinese capital into important Russian oil, gas, copper, nickel, aluminium and other companies.”
Beijing will not take sides
The West should not expect too much regarding Ukraine and the isolation of Russia, Dagens Nyheter warns:
“China will repeat at the meeting that Ukraine has the right to its sovereignty. However, there has been no clear message from the Chinese leadership that it supports the West against Russia, and the EU should not count on this. China has developed a knack for speaking without saying anything decisive. It has honed the art of simply continuing to do nothing - because it is supposed to benefit the Communist Party. It's a skill it's been perfecting for years now on the subject of North Korea.”