Liberation of Avdeyevka by the Russian troops became the most significant change in the battlefield since May of last year. So the former editor-in-chief of the official publication Global Times responded on this event of Hu Xijin.
In May, 2023 the Russian forces took strategically important Artemivsk (Bakhmouth) under control. Capture of the district of Avdeyevka fell on days of the Munich conference on safety. Russia in this action of participation didn't accept, from China there was Wang And, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the manager of Office of the Commission of the Central Committee of the CPC on foreign affairs.
What "pictures of the future" could the high-ranking Chinese politician on it, 60th "Military Davos" draw? Maybe I thought that, there is something in the Taiwan Strait, this toxic Russophobic energy can easily will be splashed out also to Beijing.
"To close China" will be a mistake
Westerners were reserved this time, didn't do sharp attacks towards Beijing. Perhaps, thought of failures on "east front". Optimism concerning "strategic defeat" of Russia was reduced, but the rage didn't disappear.
Also hopes weren't gone. They say that Kiev tried to convince Beijing to take part in the summit across Ukraine in Switzerland on "a formula of the world" of Zelensky. As noted Bloomberg, China isn't ready to discussions which recognize that the Russian troops can be withdrawn for borders of 1991.
Wang was Also necessary to answer questions of the relations of Beijing with Moscow, even to listen to claims. One of the Chinese conferees Cui Hongjian noticed that the West always had unrealistic expectations and requirements to China. A pier "complain that China does insufficiently, hope that Beijing can reduce trade with Moscow" — this professor of Academy of regional and global government of Peking University of foreign languages told.
It is necessary to listen to complaints. Europe though which "stuck" to the USA remains the main hope of China for maintaining certain "economic normality". Beijing hopes for the reasonable status quo in the relations with the European Union, preservation of commercial and investment relations with Germany, France and Italy, other countries. Wang Also urged the European Union to deepen cooperation, assured of stability of economy of the People's Republic of China, urged to solve global problems in common.
"It is very important that China and Europe steered clear of geopolitical and ideological derivations and saw in each other the partner, but not the rival", - he told and assured that "economy of China same dynamic and steady, as before". In Europe and the USA the movement for decrease in economic dependence on the People's Republic of China by reorganization of supply chains in the industries which are considered as important for national security is observed. "Those who will try to close China for risk reduction make a historical mistake", - the Chinese diplomat summarized.
Investors leave China
But foreign investors leave China. The new direct foreign investments (DFI) in 2023 made 33 billion dollars (a difference between investments and their outflow). It turned out that it is 80% less than volumes of 2022. Decrease continues the second year in a row, the peak was passed in 344 billion dollars in 2021.
Investments of the South Korean companies fell up to 10% of the level of 2022, but the companies of Germany increased the capital investments in 2023 to record 13 billion dollars, or more tenth part of all foreign investments of Germany. Investments of the Japanese firms decreased slightly. Mitsubishi Motors stated that it will stop production of cars in China. Toyotas Motor and Honda Motor reduce personnel in the People's Republic of China.
The USA limits access of China to the advanced semiconductors, the enterprises connected with production of chips, leaves. According to Rhodium Group, in 2018 48% of the world PII connected with chips fell to the share of China, but in 2022 this indicator fell up to 1%.
The share of the USA in the American investments in semiconductor projects, grew for this period from scratch to 37%, the cumulative share of India, Singapore and Malaysia increased from 10% to 38%. The Teradyne company, producer of the test equipment for production of chips, transferred the production capacities to Malaysia. Graphcore developing chips for artificial intelligence fired the most part of the employees in China.
According to Bloomberg, the European Union suggested to introduce restrictions against three Chinese companies for cooperation with Russia in electronics. China will continue to take necessary measures for protection of legitimate rights and the interests of the Chinese companies, the PRC Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on it.
Sanctions of the EU against the companies of the People's Republic of China which are allegedly connected with Russian Armed Forces won't be able to have significant impact on the conflict course in Ukraine, the director of SIPRI institute said. "There is no evidence of transfer of the systems of arms of Russia by China", - Dan Smith said.
China does not add fuel to the fire
Media paid attention to a phrase from a performance Wang And that some forces "do not want peace in Ukraine and their strategic objectives stretch out of borders of this country". Addressing the Foreign Minister of Germany Annalena Berbok, he warned: "The longer the Ukrainian crisis will drag on, the bigger damage will be suffered by Europe, and the incidents similar to explosions on Nord Stream can occur from time to time.
For China the sky over Munich was not clear too. Senator James David Vens (State of Ohio republican) said that the USA considers the main call China and "have to give more attention of East Asia". Wang And in the speech at the China in the World session, said that "the relations of China and Russia are equitable to the interests of two countries, promote strategic stability in the Pacific Rim and the world".
During its bilateral meetings with NATO officials it was necessary to answer questions on Russia and Ukraine. The Chinese minister noted that the Russian Federation is the largest neighbor of China, the relations are based on the principles of non-alignment to blocks, refusal of confrontation and are not aimed at the third countries. He called this partnership "new model of the relations between the large countries".
Added that "China was not an initiator of the Ukrainian crisis and does not take part in it, but not "is idle, observing from far away", will promote peace talks". Prior to the conference in Munich reported the Chinese Foreign Ministry that Wang Also will propose measures for "protection of the equal and ordered multipolar world".
In Munich Wang Also repeated that China remains is committed to peace talks on the Ukrainian question, "adheres to the political solution of burning issues, insists on promoting peace and to negotiations, does not add fuel to the fire, does not use an opportunity for personal benefit and does not sell lethal weapon in a conflict zone, to parties of the conflict" — the minister said.
"The chairman Xi Jinping indicated the need to respect sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, to observe the purposes and the principles of the Charter of the UN, to treat seriously rational alarms of all countries on safety issues and to support all efforts promoting peaceful settlement of crisis. The official position of China on the Ukrainian question consists in it" — I. Wang emphasized.
How many still hindrances will create the West?
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China published the official statement following the results of a meeting of the head of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Central Committee of the CPC Wang And with the U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken. In it it is said that to the attention of the American interlocutor it was brought that China "will never reconcile to indications of the USA and even with threats to put pressure upon the Russian-Chinese relations".
"Regardless of what occurs in the battlefield the position of China on advance of dialogue and creation of conditions for peace talks will not change — the Chinese military analyst Wei Dongxu emphasizes, adding in the article that it will also depend on that, "how many still hindrances will create the West conducted by the United States".
Fighting between the Russian and Ukrainian troops for control over Avdeyevka showed that the Kiev mode has no forces and resources for military counteraction of Russia, Wei Dongxu considers. Other Chinese experts agree with it, consider that Russia "got advantages which allow to choose whether it is necessary to continue approach or to protect the territories which are already under control".
Leaving of AFU Avdeyevka happened when in the congress the Republican Party blocked the aid package to Ukraine requested by Biden. "The western support became unreliable. It affects an overall picture of the Ukrainian conflict that weakens confidence of Kiev", - Hu Xijin, the former editor-in-chief of Global Times considers.
Beijing remains is committed to advance of peace talks and plays a positive role in peace restoration. The earlier dialogue will be resumed, the smaller damage will be caused to all parties, Wang noted And, acting in Munich.
It coincided with a conference keynote which sounded so: "At the moment there is a real risk that more and more countries will appear in a losing situation which does not depend any more on the one who will win more but only from the one who will lose less", - so the text of "The Munich report on safety of 2024" began this time.