Beijing may be tempted to side with Putin in the Ukraine conflict. But at what cost?
TAIPEI — As Russia pushes into Ukraine and President Biden marshals the global response, the elephant standing in the shadows is China.
On the surface, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s attack may seem to hand Chinese leader Xi Jinping a golden opportunity — a chance to pursue the common goal of the two U.S. rivals to damage Washington and its alliances.
But the conflict also puts Xi in an uncomfortable position that ultimately could prove consequential for his country and its relationship with the United States and American allies.
If Putin continues to use military force to re-create his dream of restoring the boundaries of the former Soviet Union, China’s dual goals of discomfiting the West and benefiting its economy may be hard to maintain.
That is particularly true if China is seen as enabling Putin’s destabilizing behavior and personal ambitions to restore Russia’s glory, something China has little self-interest in supporting.
