Russia's comprehensive approach to China, the United States forcing China to sanction Russia, and Ukraine, France, and Germany hope that China can mediate the war in Ukraine, which fully demonstrates China's true status in today's world.
More than 10 days after the war in Ukraine began, the two sides have begun peace talks, but there is no ceasefire. European countries can no longer sit still. On March 8, China's top leaders held a three-way video call with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Schoerz, in which France and Germany asked China to mediate the Ukraine crisis. As early as March 1, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kureba had asked China to mediate.
The Asia Times said the idea of China mediating the war in Ukraine was growing in popularity in Europe.
Russia is fully close to China, the United States is forcing China to sanction Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany hope that China can mediate the war in Ukraine, what words are used to describe China's true status in the world today? I believe that with the four words "pivotal", you will not object. China has always been regarded as an East Asian country, and for many years it has been immersed in its own economic development, and we generally adopt a non-intervention and abstention attitude toward international disputes and wars unless they directly affect China's interests. Now China seems to have suddenly had a direct impact on the Political Situation in Europe, and it is really a little uncomfortable.
Judging from the situation of foreign news commentary, China's influence may come from this policy of non-intervention. Western countries have always believed that whether a country has international influence mainly lies in hard power in military, economic, financial and other aspects. China has always been a nuclear power with the ability to launch nuclear warheads into any corner of the world. Although the PLA has not yet carried out large-scale joint combat operations, it has explored and accumulated experience in carrying out combat tasks in the exotic deep sea through peacekeeping, escort, evacuation, search and rescue and other non-war military operations.
China is the world's largest trader and exporter of goods, especially with Russia and Ukraine, trade is growing rapidly. According to the Asia Times, since Ukraine joined the Belt and Road Initiative in 2017, Chinese investors have invested $2 billion in Ukraine every year. China's imports from Ukraine increased from more than $4 billion in 2019 to nearly $8 billion in 2020. Le Monde reported that between 2013 and 2020, China's share of Russia's foreign trade rose from 13.5 percent to 16 percent. If calculated at the purchasing power parity exchange rate, China's economy has long since surpassed that of the United States. China has huge foreign exchange reserves, and the potential for the internationalization of the renminbi is globally recognized. If it were not for the harsh anti-China policy adopted by the United States, the stocks issued in the United States in China, from state-owned enterprises to private enterprises, would have been enthusiastically sought after.
A China with such a strong hard power basically adopts a non-intervention attitude in international disputes, which in itself shows China's sincerity for world peace and development. Although European countries often make wild accusations against China's ethnic policy and Hong Kong policy, are they not clear in their hearts? China tries its best to avoid using force to solve problems, nor does it support any country or anyone to solve problems by force, and on the issue of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, China has always been in line with words and deeds. China's ambassador to the United Nations has said, "Ukraine should be a bridge between East and West." "But the US-led NATO wants to use Ukraine as the front line of great power competition." Russia, which has been provoked, has now picked up the big stick, and the provocateurs have all become turtles with shrunken heads. dispatch troops? Build a no-fly zone? Admit Ukraine to NATO or the European Union? Don't talk about it, don't mention it. People look around the world as if no one except China really has the weight to speak to Russia.
European countries are now coming to the door and asking China to mediate, so what about France and Germany not mentioning cotton in China's Xinjiang? Can't you come to the South China Sea? It turns out that there are also times when there is no time to take care of it. Since the outbreak of the war, Europe has been forced to abandon economic and trade exchanges with Russia, resulting in huge difficulties in the supply of oil, gas, metal minerals, natural gas prices soared, and the price of nickel metal soared several times overnight. Not only that, but a lot of money has fled to the United States to hedge. France and Germany, the two most powerful engines of the European economy, are clearly the biggest victims and are eager to end the conflict.
Russia is clearly not going to give up until it achieves its goals. According to Russia's demands, Ukraine must be de-militarized and de-Nazimized, which is equivalent to a complete purge of American forces and settle the historical accounts since 2014. Russia also demanded recognition of the independence of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. At most, Ukraine is willing to commit to no longer joining NATO and acting as a neutral country. The positions of the two sides are very different and difficult to negotiate. The most troublesome thing is that Ukraine also has a churning stick behind the United States, which hopes that the war will be protracted and quagmire. Therefore, even if China can talk to Russia, it may not be able to play much role. Who provoked this situation, or who carried it himself.