Opinion

Why China playing bystander to the trouble in Eurasia is not ideal

Beijing’s reluctance to get involved in the unrest in Belarus, Nagorno-Karabakh and Kyrgyzstan is in line with its traditional attitude towards conflicts that do not impinge on its own security

However, given Beijing’s growing global influence, its disinterested posture muddies the waters for others trying to resolve unrest

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Belarusian servicemen block a street in Minsk on August 30 during a rally by opposition supporters protesting against disputed presidential election results. Tens of thousands of opposition supporters marched through the city calling for an end to strongman Alexander Lukashenko’s rule. Photo: TUT.BY/ AFP

Raffaello Pantucci is a senior associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in London and a senior fellow at the S.

Published: 6:30am, 22 Oct 2020Updated: 7:59am, 22 Oct 2020

Beijing has yet to articulate much by way of major policy initiatives on the trouble in its Eurasian backyard – in Belarus, Nagorno-Karabakh and Kyrgyzstan. Is China’s decision to wait and watch as the chaos unfolds a conscious reflection of the power it wants to be, or acknowledgement of the fact that it has little to offer and no idea what to do?

The question of whether China should have a view on all of this instability is a reflection of its place in the world today.

On the face of it, the question seems to be merely a banal reflection of the China hysteria that has engulfed the world. However, given that China is the world’s second-largest economy and is vying for a place at the top table, the question is increasingly relevant, especially since the affected countries have often expressed a desire to engage with Chinese President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative.