China cleverly stays out of the world’s crises. But Beijing’s long-term intentions are massively damaging to our interests, warns expert Bernhard Bartsch.
First US President Donald Trump, now Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin: the world’s powerful are practically handing over to each other in Beijing these days – and both are hoping for support from China’s head of state Xi Jinping. The visits may only happen so quickly, but they reinforce the impression that China has long since emerged as a new global power center.
US President Trump hoped that China would put more pressure on its ally Iran. But Beijing has so far shown little inclination to persuade Tehran to open the Strait of Hormuz, despite the threat of a global oil price shock due to the closure of the waterway. Kremlin leader Putin, in turn, is relying on greater political and economic support from his neighbor to the east.
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t-online talks to China expert Bernhard Bartsch about the alliance between Putin and Xi, Europe’s influence on Chinese foreign policy and the question of whether China can be a new anchor of stability in a chaotic world.
t-online: Just a few days ago the US President was in China and asked for help in his struggle with Iran. What significance does Putin’s visit have from Beijing’s perspective?
Bernhard Bartsch: Xi and Putin are closely linked by their shared agenda to undermine and replace the Western world order. China’s head of state leaves no doubt about this in his speeches and statements. China is taking a more cautious approach than Russia, but the goal of the two states is the same. In this respect, the Beijing-Moscow axis is also very important for China.
How do people in Beijing view Russia’s war against Ukraine?
The Ukraine war is not necessarily in China’s interests. Above all, people in Beijing would have liked it not to take so long. But Xi doesn’t want Putin to emerge from the war as a loser. China exports many goods to Russia and also purchases oil and gas from there. A stable relationship in Russia is therefore in Beijing’s interest.
What expectations does Putin have when traveling to Beijing?
Putin hopes for greater support from China, especially economically. The construction of another pipeline for Russian gas has been discussed for years, but China is negotiating hard. Whether Putin can achieve closure during this visit remains to be seen. But he will certainly be able to take home signals of support.
