Common cause: China and Russia announce military maneuvers
Created: 08/17/2022, 15:22
By: Nadja Austel
Under Putin, Russia and China have recently come closer and closer.
(Archive image) © Sergei Ilnitsky/dpa
Russia and China are now also working on their military cooperation.
It is questionable whether China will now support Russia in the Ukraine conflict.
Beijing – According to reports from
Tagesschau
and
Der Spiegel
, China has announced that it will take part in military maneuvers in Russia.
Chinese soldiers would be sent to Russia for joint exercises with India, Belarus and Tajikistan, the Chinese Defense Ministry announced.
However, the participation is not related to the current international and regional situation.
The exercises are only part of the bilateral agreement that has been in place for years.
It should not be forgotten, however, that Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine also began with "military manoeuvres".
Chinese leader Xi Jinping reiterated his support for Moscow on issues of "sovereignty and security" in a phone call with his counterpart Vladimir Putin on Wednesday (August 17),
CNN
reports .
He emphasized the partnership between the two countries - despite the global backlash against Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
At the talks marking his 69th birthday, Xi also promised the Russian government that he would deepen strategic cooperation between the two countries, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
Reaffirmation of unity between Russia and China in the Ukraine conflict
According to CNN
's report
, Xi has pointed out that China has always "independently assessed" the situation in Ukraine and called on "all parties" to work towards an "adequate solution to the Ukraine crisis" - a phrase that which he had already used in a conversation with US President Joe Biden in March.
China is "ready to continue to play its role" in promoting such a solution for Ukraine, Xi said, according to
CNN
.
China has refrained from calling Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine an invasion and is walking a fine line on this issue. According to the
CNN
report, it presented itself as an advocate of peace and the maintenance of global order.
It also used its state media apparatus to broadcast the Kremlin's statements blaming the United States and NATO for the Ukraine conflict.
Ukraine conflict: is China legitimizing Russia's war?
The Kremlin went a step further in its summary of the conversation, stating: "The Chinese President has recognized the legitimacy of Russian action to protect fundamental national interests (...)."
China's lack of criticism of Russia's war in Ukraine is further straining Beijing's already strained relations with the US and its allies.
The US had repeatedly urged the international community to condemn Russia's actions and warned the Chinese government not to support Moscow.
