China’s decisive turning point: will it side with Russia and divide the world?

China continues to side with Moscow over the Ukraine war, but fresh signs it is hedging its bets has given Washington some hope Beijing could shift its stance. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

Joe Biden is due to make a phone call to Xi Jinping on Friday at a potential tipping point in China’s role in the world as it decides how far to go in backing Russia’s war on Ukraine.

While China has abstained on United Nations security council resolutions on the invasion, it has sided with Moscow rhetorically, echoing Russian talking points blaming Nato, and recycling conspiracy theories, and the Biden administration believes it has already decided to bail Russia out economically.