China bristles at talk Xi Jinping gave Vladimir Putin nod to invade Ukraine

Beijing says it is “offensive” to suggest Xi Jinping gave his blessing for Vladimir Putin’s Ukraine attack.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) and Chinese President Xi Jinping pose during their meeting in Beijing, in February. Picture: AFP

Beijing says it is “offensive” to suggest Chinese President Xi Jinping gave his blessing to Vladimir Putin before Russia attacked Ukraine.

China has come under criticism for casting itself as an agent of peace while refusing to condemn Russia’s military strikes on its neighbour.

Evan Medeiros, a former China director on America’s National Security Council, described Beijing’s position as “strategic cake-ism”.

“They are going to try to have their cake and eat it too,” Mr ­Medeiros told a panel organised by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.

Beijing’s strained approach was underlined again in its readout of a Thursday call between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Russian counterpart, Sergy Lavrov.

Speaking hours after Mr Putin began military strikes on Ukraine, Mr Wang said his government recognised “the complex and special historical context of the Ukraine issue and understands Russia’s legitimate security concerns”.

At the same time, Mr Wang said China “respected the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries”.

The tension of those two positions dominated a combative press conference in Beijing’s foreign ministry late on Thursday.

China’s foreign ministry spokeswoman, Hua Chunying, ­refused to describe Russia’s actions as an “invasion”, said NATO owed Beijing “a debt of blood” after an ­incident in 1999, and bristled when asked if China had a “double standard” on Russian warfare.

“Why are you obsessed with China’s condemnation?” Ms Hua asked one foreign reporter.

Asked if Mr Xi had given Mr Putin the all-clear to launch an ­invasion when the two “no limit” partners met in Beijing less than three weeks ago, Ms Hua said she found “such a way of questioning quite offensive frankly”.

“Who started the fire? Who fanned the flame? Who keeps pouring oil on the flame?” she said, repeating Beijing’s claim that America was to blame for the ­unfolding conflict.

Outside China, foreign policy experts argue Beijing’s position will become even more tortured as further sanctions are imposed on Russia.

“Beijing will not be able to avoid the perception that it is enabling Russian policy through silence, complicity, or even active support,” said Evan Feigenbaum, a former East Asia policy adviser at the US State Department.

“It will pay a cost with the transatlantic West for its lean towards Moscow,” Mr ­Feigenbaum wrote in an article published by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

“It will pay a cost, too, for breaking with Moscow.

“China cannot avoid making choices, and these will decisively shape Chinese foreign policy for at least the next decade.”

On China’s curated internet, many posted online praise for the foreign ministry spokeswoman’s performance.

Communist Party state media said the crisis demonstrated Beijing’s virtuousness.

“Is there any major country in this world that obeys international rules better than China?” a Xinhua reporter asked in a widely circulated essay.

“Is there a great power that ­respects the sovereignty of other countries more than China? Is there a major country that values peace more than China? The ­answer is no.”