http://ifttt.com/images/no_image_card.pngAs Russia escalates its invasion of Ukraine, the United States is sending a delegation of former defense officials to Taiwan while keeping communication channels open with Russia’s ally, China.
U.S. officials say China’s decision to back Russia amid its military campaign in Ukraine is causing the Beijing government to become “quite uncomfortable.”
Although Beijing’s spokespeople continue to repeat Russia’s claims accusing NATO of provoking the conflict by expanding its membership over the years, U.S. officials insist the relationship is being strained by both the fighting on the ground and the coordinated response by Europe and the United States.
“It is undeniable that right now, China is occupying an awkward nexus in which they’re trying to sustain their deep and fundamental relationship with Russia,” said Kurt Campbell, who is U.S. President Joe Biden’s senior coordinator for Indo-Pacific policy at the White House National Security Council.
“I think they have been concerned by some of the — both the solidarity that everyone has witnessed in the aftermath of the [Russia] invasion — but also by the brutality that is playing out every day with respect to an invasion,” added Campbell on Monday during a webinar hosted by the German Marshall Fund of the United States.
Campbell said the U.S. was hoping China could play a critical role in encouraging Russian President Vladimir Putin to reconsider invading Ukraine but “we believe they [Chinese officials] chose not to weigh in in advance.”
China has refrained from calling Russia’s military actions in Ukraine “an invasion,” saying China “understands Russia’s legitimate concerns on security issues.”
Monday in Beijing, a spokesperson from China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Wang Wenbin repeated China’s partnership with Russia.