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Klaus W. Larres

Klaus W. Larres

Klaus W. Larres, PhD, is the Richard M. Krasno Distinguished Professor of History and International Affairs at the University of North Carolina (UNC) in Chapel Hill, NC. He is currently a fellow at the Global Europe Programme and the Kissinger Institute on China and the United States at the Wilson Center. Previously he held the Henry Kissinger Chair in Foreign Policy & International Relations at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC, and also worked as a counsellor and senior policy adviser at the German Embassy in Beijing, China.

China’s recent diplomatic efforts related to the Ukraine war offer insights into Beijing’s possible future role in mediating in the conflict.

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Chinese envoy Li Hui says Beijing’s friendship with both Russia and Ukraine can help with mediation between the two countries. To have its peacemaking ambitions taken seriously, however, China should work closely with the US and other Nato members, as well as exert more pressure on Russia.

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Despite recent improvements in relations with the US, China is increasingly focused on building relations with Europe as it seeks more global partners. Europe’s priority in China’s eyes is clear, but swaying EU members towards Beijing will be hard given a long-standing US alliance and European trade concerns.

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