World News: Beijing, from East to West
- Details
- Category: World News
- Published on Monday, 02 January 2023 07:54
- Written by Olivier Longhi
While the war in Ukraine will still condition the content of international relations in 2023, the upheavals it is causing could still generate and revive Sino-American and European relations. At the expense of an increasingly lonely Russia.
By refusing to evoke any military alliance with Vladimir Putin's Russia, preferring the term strategic alliance, China has been careful not to offend its best enemy that are the United States. The latter, which have become omnipresent since the launch of the Russian offensive in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, have in some respects cooled Chinese ardor, particularly regarding the Taiwanese question.
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At the same time, Beijing, mired in a health crisis linked to the unbridled spread of Covid-19 on its soil, demonstrations calling to loosen the vice of successive lockdowns and the slowdown of its economy, tacitly chose his side by politely rejecting Moscow's military alliance.
Snub and Addiction
Vladimir Putin, more than ever alone on the international scene, knows that he needs powerful allies capable of thwarting the North American hegemony that deeply annoyed Beijing on the Asian facade, but which is expressing itself. Also, today in Europe.
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Concretely, wherever Vladimir Putin looks, whether in the East or in the West, he sees only the United States. Thinking of thwarting Washington's plans by allying himself with Beijing, the Russian president nevertheless suffers a severe snub from the art of Beijing, which obviously has no desire to corrupt itself further.
With an outdated country and at least on the outskirts of nations as long as Vladimir Putin and his successors pursue the same policy. Does this mean that 2023 will be the year of diplomatic and geopolitical upheaval? Some might think so, and current facts could easily confirm their predictions.
Precisely, China, trapped in its economic power because it is heavily dependent on its exports to Europe and the United States, cannot take the risk of Angry with his two partners vital to his future.
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Invasion and Compromise
At the same time, the spread of Covid-19 on its soil could also push it to use foreign vaccines, whether of European or American origin, to make it even more dependent on the West. As for the Taiwanese question, China has seen first-hand, the military maneuvers in the China Sea have only had the effect of raising Washington's attention on the issue without ever panicking President Joe Biden, much less Taiwan, on guard since 1949, date of its creation, and ready for all invasion scenarios since then.
Of course, there remains the oil question, which is crucial for the Middle Kingdom. Taking advantage of Russian black gold at very competitive prices, allowing Moscow to sell its production but below the market price, Beijing also knows that this rapprochement in the long term, energy will irritate its economic partners.
In the end, Xi Jing Ping made it clear to Vladimir Putin that China would always prefer calm to chaos, compromise to rupture and that if its future certainly did not pass through Washington, it would not pass through nor by Moscow. Not at the moment anyway.
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Bio: Olivier Longhi has extensive experience in European history. A seasoned journalist with fifteen years of experience, he is currently professor of history and geography in the Toulouse region of France. He has held a variety of publishing positions, including Head of Agency and Chief of Publishing. A journalist, recognized blogger, editor, and editorial project manager, he has trained and managed editorial teams, worked as a journalist for various local radio stations, a press and publishing consultant, and a communications consultant.
