TAIPEI, Taiwan — Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin have forged a relationship they say has “no limits.” But the grinding war in Ukraine is increasing pressure on China to disavow Putin’s aggression or face international condemnation that could upend its own strategies in challenging the U.S. for global superiority.
Since the start of Russia’s invasion last month, China has publicly settled on neutrality and avoided voicing outright condemnation or support. Beijing has sent humanitarian assistance to Ukraine while being sympathetic to Russia’s security concerns. Chinese officials have expressed concerns about a war that has devastated cities and spurred more than 2 million refugees, but have blamed the U.S. and NATO for its escalation.
China’s aim at preserving its deepening relationship with Russia without alienating the West is becoming tricky, if not untenable. The longer the war continues, the greater the risk for political and economic fallout from a conflict that is more resonate of a bygone Cold War than the new world order in which Beijing sees itself as the lone power rivaling Washington.
