China's dictatorial "President" Xi Jinping arrived in Moscow today to meet with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, the 40th meeting since Xi became China's leader 11 years ago and the first meeting since Putin invaded Ukraine last year. "I am very glad at the invitation of President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin," — an indicted war criminal — said Xi, according to Russia’s Tass news agency.
Putin wrote a typically long-winded, buddy article for China's People's Daily — like Russia's Tass, a state-run news outlet — which begins, or rather should have begun, "I am glad to seize this opportunity to address the friendly Chinese people in one of the largest and most authoritative authoritarian world media." Continued Vlad: "We welcome China’s readiness to make a meaningful contribution to the settlement of the [Ukraine] crisis," which China could do only by ceasing its Russian oil purchses, which are filling Vlad's warchest.
Xi reciprocated by publishing a similarly schmoozy article in a Russian newspaper, saying China is seeking "to promote reconciliation" and "play a constructive role in promoting talks" between the vicious aggressor and its innocent neighbor. Observes The NY Times:
But American and European officials are watching for something else altogether — whether Mr. Xi will add fuel to the full-scale war....
U.S. officials say China is still considering giving weapons — mainly artillery shells — to Russia for use in Ukraine. And even a call by Mr. Xi for a cease-fire would amount to an effort to strengthen Mr. Putin’s battlefield position, they say, by leaving Russia in control of more territory than when the invasion began.
A cease-fire now would be "effectively the ratification of Russian conquest," John Kirby, a White House spokesman, said on Friday. "It would in effect recognize Russia’s gains and its attempt to conquer its neighbor’s territory by force, allowing Russian troops to continue to occupy sovereign Ukrainian territory."
"It would be a classic part of the China playbook," he added, for Chinese officials to come out of the meeting claiming "we’re the ones calling for an end to the fighting and nobody else is."
The West is right to be extraordinarily wary. China has so far played nothing but a destructive role with respect to what Putin calls the "crisis." (Like one of Trump's, it's of his own making.) Echoing Moscow, Beijing has repeatedly denounced NATO, but not once Putin's blatantly illegal invasion of Ukraine. China also blathered in a 12-point "peace plan" about all nations needing to "respect the sovereignty" of others, and yet it has helped to block more than one international statement condeming Russia's warring disrepect of sovereignty.
Because of its refusal to join civilized nations in denouncing Russia's actions, NATO's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg summarized the situation quite plainly: "China doesn’t have much credibility."
And it will have even less — as in, none — should it begin shipping artillery shells and God knws what else to Russia, assisting Putin in his manic obsession with murdering unoffending Ukrainians.
This is more than a war to conquer a neighbor. It's a long-term, East-West conflict in which civilized nations will struggle to survive against united, authoritarian brutality.