Opinion | Has Ukraine war left China facing a strategic foreign policy test?
Latest reactions from Beijing suggest China’s stance on Ukraine is less about the war itself and more about the broader global power struggle
It marked the first time Xi had reached out to Zelensky since their phone conversation in April 2023, which remains the only direct contact between them since Russia invaded Ukraine in late February 2022.
Xi’s message, which Zelensky posted on social media, pledged to “stand ready to work” with Ukraine, guide relations “towards steady and long-term development and bring greater benefits to the peoples of both countries”.
Xi’s move came just days after Zelensky rejected Russia’s proposal to include China as a potential security guarantor in the event of a ceasefire – a clear rebuke of Beijing’s claimed neutrality in the conflict.
“First, China did not help us stop this war from the start. Second, China assisted Russia by opening its drone market,” Zelensky had said in Kyiv last Thursday.