China and Ukraine: The Chinese debate about Russia’s war and its meaning for the world
How has Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022—and the conduct of the war since then—changed China’s support for Russia and its wider outlook on the world? What lessons can Europe learn from China’s relationship to Russia?
Guests
- Alicja Bachulska, Policy Fellow, ECFR
- Mark Leonard, Director, ECFR
Chaired by
Janka Oertel, Director, Asia Programme, Senior Policy Fellow, ECFR
“Change is coming that hasn’t happened in 100 years and we are driving this change together.” These were the words of Xi Jinping, when bidding farewell to his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in Moscow in March 2023. Putin was the first foreign leader Xi met after the latter had secured his precedent-breaking third term in power. Xi was also the first to shake hands with the Russian president following the International Criminal Court’s issue of an arrest warrant accusing him of war crimes.
How has Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022—and the conduct of the war since then—changed China’s support for Russia and its wider outlook on the world? What lessons can Europe learn from China’s relationship to Russia?
Mark Leonard and Alicja Bachulska will present the findings of their recent report, titled “China and Ukraine: The Chinese debate about Russia’s war and its meaning for the world”, which draws on extensive off-the-record interviews with Chinese thinkers and strategists from top universities, think tanks, and party-affiliated organisations.