China is attempting to distance itself from Russia as the scale of the invasion of Ukraine becomes clear, with Foreign Minister Wang Yi saying it was “absolutely imperative” for all sides to exercise restraint to prevent the conflict from “getting out of control”.
And at least two of China’s largest state-owned banks are restricting financing for purchases of Russian commodities, underscoring the limits of Beijing’s pledge to maintain economic ties with one of its most important strategic partners in the face of sanctions by the US and its allies.
