Pictured: Chinese and US flags flutter near the Bund, ahead of a US trade delegation meeting with China in Shanghai, China July 30, 2019. REUTERS/Aly Song
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – China is increasingly shifting the position of the United States (US) as a leader in international diplomacy. This can be seen from the movement of President Xi Jinping in reconciling the war between Russia and Ukraine, one of the most turbulent conflicts in Europe this century.
Shen Shiwei, a leading Chinese international affairs analyst and journalist, said Beijing succeeded in having a core stance of facilitating talks for peace.
He was referring to Xi’s high-level meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron, Russian President Vladimir Putin and other dignitaries. He also said that the qualifications of China’s special envoy had the best qualifications in handling this matter.
“A military solution cannot end the conflict, and it is not an easy task to push for a political settlement,” Shen was quoted as saying NewsweekTuesday (2/5/2023).
According to him, China believes that it is important to seize the opportunity and create conditions for a political settlement, because rational thinking and voices advocating for a political solution are now on the rise.
“The US and Europe are already in conflict, but China is in a good position to help push for a political settlement, as it is the only permanent member of the UN Security Council that maintains good relations with Russia and Ukraine,” he said.
Despite Xi’s close ties to Putin and his support of Russia’s position, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reportedly maintains a working relationship with China.
As is the case with the majority of countries around the world, Beijing is also Kyiv’s main trading partner, and Ukraine is a signatory to the infrastructure-focused Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Thus, Shen argues that Western opposition to China’s peacemaker position is counterintuitive.
“Leaders from the US and Europe must have political determination and a feasible solution to push for a political settlement with China,” Shen said. “Blaming China, which did not create the Ukraine crisis and is not a party to the crisis, will not help in the difficult push for a political settlement.”
Sehn acknowledged that such an effort, even with growing international support, would not be easy.
Meanwhile, the US is outspokenly suspicious of China over its diplomacy in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Washington also responded coldly to Beijing’s success in mediating tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
The White House has also outright opposed any Chinese-led attempt to forge a ceasefire, arguing it would legitimize Russia’s war and potentially give Moscow’s troops a chance to regroup.
The decline in US-China relations began in the era of former President Donald Trump and has become increasingly volatile under President Joe Biden.
Joe Biden’s own administration has consistently named China as the US’s top global competitor. According to him, China is a real challenge for the US, because it is the only competitor with the intention and ability to increase and systematically oppose the superiority of Uncle Sam’s country in various fields.
(luc/luc)
2023-05-02 04:30:00
#Jinpings #luck #proved #badly #defeated #China #Europe
