So far, China has provided political and moral support to Moscow, but refrained from military assistance and adhered to sanctions. This position will continue in the future, experts say.

Russian President Vladimir Putin should not hope for much help from China in the war against Ukraine, despite the humiliating losses of Russian troops on the battlefield.

Shortly before the invasion of Ukraine in February, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping declared “limitless friendship” and promised “no “forbidden” areas of cooperation,” recalls Bloomberg .

However, after the full-scale invasion began, Chinese officials initially tried both to support Russia and avoid endorsing a clear violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty.

While trade between the countries picked up even after the US and its allies imposed sanctions on Russia, Beijing stopped sending Moscow military equipment or providing financial support that could lead to the imposition of sanctions. And, despite the fears of some financial investors, Beijing’s stance is unlikely to change even if Putin, at a meeting with Xi Jinping in Uzbekistan on Thursday, asks him for military assistance after Russia’s heavy losses in recent weeks.

“Chinese officials talk about a partnership of ‘no limits’, but Russia and China have always disagreed on many issues. I don’t think Chinese military assistance to Russia is possible because of the sanctions and the significant international criticism that will arise. This would also contradict the statements China that Western military support for Ukraine is prolonging the war,” said Elisabeth Vishnik, senior fellow at CNA, a security think tank in Washington.

Although Xi sees Russia as an important diplomatic ally to counter the US, in particular its military alliances and control of the global financial system, he has little domestic incentive to intervene, Bloomberg notes. The Chinese leader is up for re-election for a third term at the party congress next month, and is also dealing with a slowdown in the economy and a real estate crisis.

Moreover, sending troops or weapons would be a violation of sovereignty, undermining China’s own declared position. According to the US, the Kremlin had to turn to Iran for drones and North Korea for ammunition .

Any loss of life or economic hardship in China, exacerbated by financial sanctions, only risks dealing a political blow to the Communist Party, which has promised to improve the standard of living of society.

China has several ways to show more support for Russia that would not fundamentally change its stance on the war in Ukraine, said Amanda Xiao, senior analyst at Crisis Group, a Brussels-based think tank.

This includes using the Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting in Uzbekistan to show the world that Putin is not isolated, as well as potentially engaging in new military exercises with Russia, she said.

Economic ties between China and Russia have grown despite U.S. and European sanctions during the war, writes Bloomberg. Russian exports to China, dominated by energy and other commodities, rose nearly 50% to $40.8 billion in the first five months of the year.

China has also helped fill the void left by the withdrawal of foreign companies from the Russian market as its exports to Russia recover from a lull in the first months of the invasion.

“So far, China has provided political and moral support to Moscow, but has refrained from providing military assistance and adhered to sanctions. This position reflects the balancing of its strategic interests with economic interests – these interests will continue to guide Beijing’s position in the future,” said Amanda Xiao.

Recall that on February 4, 2022, following a meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, the two countries announced a deep strategic partnership to counter US global influence.

“Friendship between the two states has no borders, there are no ‘forbidden’ areas of cooperation,” they said, announcing plans for cooperation in a number of areas, including space, climate change, artificial intelligence and Internet control.

(C)UNIAN 2022