China’s hopes to be a peacemaker in Ukraine clash with its goals on Trump and trade – Reuters

China’s hopes of being a peacemaker in Ukraine are clashing with its goals for trade and U.S. President Donald Trump. Without a significant role in the Ukrainian process, China has been able to focus on trade and the economy, Reuters reports, according to UNN.

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Over the past three years, China has repeatedly declared its readiness to act as a peacekeeper in the war in Ukraine.

Rounds of shuttle diplomacy by Beijing’s envoy in countries ranging from South Africa to Indonesia. A peace plan with Brazil. A group of “friends for peace” with developing countries. And even a proposal to send Chinese peacekeepers to Europe.

But when Russian and American officials met in Saudi Arabia this week, Chinese President Xi Jinping was not even at the table, instead meeting with Chinese tech entrepreneurs in Beijing.

China’s priorities are clear: it is focused on rebuilding its economy and trying to strike a deal with U.S. President Donald Trump to avoid another devastating trade war. And while Beijing wants to be seen as a global peacemaker, it wants to do so without cost or risk, especially if it could undermine its ties with Moscow, on which it depends for cheap energy

“If China doesn’t buy gas from Russia, which country can provide enough gas to meet the needs of the Chinese people? It’s impossible and dangerous,” China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, said this week at the Munich Security Conference.

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According to observers, this statement was the most obvious illustration of China’s reluctance to use an important lever of pressure on Russia – record purchases of almost 23 billion cubic meters of gas per year.

Without a significant role in the Ukraine process, China has been able to focus on trade and the economy. Xi Jinping has instructed Chinese bureaucrats to study Trump’s trade policies and prepare responses to his initial tariffs and threats, two people familiar with the situation said.

China has also deliberately toned down the tone used by foreign ministry spokespeople to keep prospects for a deal with Trump alive, said two of the more than a dozen people interviewed by Reuters for this article.

This week, Trump stunned the world by starting peace talks directly with Putin without Ukraine or Europe and making a number of statements about Ukraine, the newspaper writes.

In Munich, Wang called on “all interested parties,” including Europe, to come to the table.

European diplomats said that while Wang’s gesture was positive, it did not fundamentally address the issues that Europe has been raising with China for months: its de facto financing of the war through energy purchases and its support for a Russian military-industrial base, which China denies.

Noah Barkin, senior China advisor at Rhodium Group, said Wang was speaking up for Europe’s interests because China is concerned about being excluded from the postwar recovery.

“The interests of Europe and China do not coincide in any way, but both sides are interested in ensuring that this does not turn into a pact concluded by Trump and Putin behind closed doors,” he said.

Diplomats also downplayed the fact that Trump’s quick appeal to Putin could undermine Xi’s “boundless partnership” with Russia.

“It is wishful thinking. This idea ignores the depth of coordination, exchanges and closeness between the leaders,” said a senior European diplomat. – “Russia is so dependent on China – they are not going to risk their ties with Beijing because Trump called them.

While China has largely ignored Ukrainian diplomats working in Beijing over the past three years, allowing few meetings and not engaging in substantive talks, people familiar with the situation say it has recently changed course on Europe.

Several diplomats said they have noticed a much greater willingness by China to engage with European diplomats in recent days. Beijing has even sent a seasoned diplomat, Hua Chunying, to Brussels, said two people briefed on her trip.

Ties between Brussels and Beijing have been chilly as the European Union has raised issues such as market access for European companies, the bloc’s huge trade deficit, and China’s overcapacity.

But despite the closer interaction, China has not made any concessions on these issues and has not taken any decisive steps, expecting that the 10% tariffs imposed by Trump on Chinese goods were only his first salvo, diplomats said.

“I haven’t seen any indication that China is willing to change its approach to trade or to Russia to facilitate some kind of rapprochement with Europe,” Barkin said. – “Beijing probably believes that Europe is in such a weak position right now that concessions are unnecessary.

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