Part of Chinese public opinion sees the invasion of Ukraine as a legitimate move by Russia, given the shared rivalry with US-led “Western hegemonism” and the parallelism with Taiwan.
According to the Chinese defending the Russian invasion, the so-called great countries have a right to security on their borders.
“The Ukrainian people should mainly blame their leaders for provoking Russia by getting close to the United States,” Weiwei, a real estate agent in Nanning, a city in southwestern China, said in Lusa statements.
According to taxi driver Wang Tao, who was also heard by Lusa, Moscow should have acted given the “inevitability” that Washington would arm Ukraine to “attack” Russia.
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According to a poll released by the Carter Center, a non-profit organization founded by former US President Jimmy Carter, 75% of Chinese respondents agree that supporting Russia is in China’s national interest. However, about 60% of respondents expect China to play a mediating role in ending the war.
Beijing refused to condemn Russia for invading Ukraine and criticized the imposition of sanctions against Moscow. China considers partnership with a neighboring country essential to counter the US-led liberal democratic order.
Also questionable is the parallelism between the conflict in Ukraine and the issue of Taiwan, which Beijing considers a “rebellious province” that needs to be reunified rather than a sovereign political entity.
“The conflict between Russia and Ukraine is a “counterattack” [Presidente russo, Vladimir] Putin is opposed to the plan of the West led by the United States of America (USA) to dismember Russia,” Qiu Wenping of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, a state think tank, said during a televised debate.
“The position of China is comparable to the position of Russia. The United States is clearly manipulating the Taiwan issue and constantly fanning the fire to dismember China, creating the Ukraine of the East,” Qiu Wenping accused.
China and Taiwan have existed as two autonomous territories since 1949, when the former Chinese Nationalist government took refuge on the island after losing a civil war against the Communists. Beijing considers Taiwan part of its territory and threatens reunification by force if the island formally declares independence.
Visits by US politicians to the island have increased over the past two years, prompting the Chinese army to launch large-scale military exercises.
Beijing regards high-profile visits to the territory as meddling in its affairs and de facto recognition of Taiwan’s sovereignty.
The image of Russian leader Vladimir Putin as a “tough guy” is also highly valued in China, where the authoritarian regime favors “strong” leaders.
“Putin is a real man who acts without hesitation,” admits, still talking to Lusa, Weiwei’s real estate agent.
Dozens of biographies and essays about Putin can be found in Chinese bookstores, a rarity for a foreign statesman.
“Putin: He Was Born for Russia”, “Putin’s Iron Fist”, “Putin: The Perfect Man in Women’s Eyes” and “King Putin’s Charm” are some of the titles displayed in the Asian country’s bookstores.
“Putin has become a tough and uncompromising political icon in resisting Western hegemony,” the 26-year-old Chinese student with a degree in international relations told Lusa.
“He is a great statesman who revived the hopes and faith of the Russian people after the collapse of the Soviet Union,” added the student, who declined to be named.
The military offensive launched by Russia on February 24 in Ukraine has already caused the flight of nearly 13 million people – more than six million internally displaced people and nearly seven million to neighboring countries – according to the latest figures from the UN, which rates this refugee crisis as the worst in Europe since the Second World War. world war (1939-1945).
The Russian invasion, justified by Russian President Vladimir Putin as the need to “denazify” and demilitarize Ukraine for Russia’s security, was condemned by the international community as a whole, which responded by sending weapons to Ukraine and imposing sanctions on Russia. in all sectors, from banking to energy and sports.