The military offensive that Vladimir Putin launched early Thursday against Ukraine has already had the first economic consequences for the Russian country.
After the strong sanctions that the United States, the European Union and the United Kingdom have put in place —from the closure of airspace to Russian airlines to the partial expulsion of Russia from the international payment platform SWIFT—, China is running as its best ally to survive the economic suffocation to which it is doomed in the short term.
Although the relationship between the two countries seems to be in good health and Putin visited Beijing just a few weeks before starting the invasion of the neighboring country, coinciding with the celebration of the Winter Olympics, the role that the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, will play in the war is still unknown.
Their economic exchanges have intensified over the past year, but Jinping's room for maneuver at the diplomatic level is much smaller.
His image towards the rest of the countries and the difficult balance of interests that China must achieve leave the door open to many scenarios.
In the video that accompanies this news, the editor of EL PAÍS Pablo León, currently in charge of international information, explains the keys to the relationship between the two regimes and the possible actions of the Chinese president in the current war context.
He will answer, among others, the following questions: what interests do China and Russia share?
In which do they diverge?
What role does China play in international chess?
How much does the Kremlin depend on Chinese support to win?
Can Xi Jinping fill the gap left by the West in the Russian economy after the sanctions imposed on Putin?
How can the relationship between the Chinese country and the rest of the international actors change if he decides to support the Russian leader in his company?
