Xi denies asking Putin to delay invasion until after Olympics

Angry Chinese foreign ministry says reports ‘sheer fabrication’ aimed at sabotaging Games.

The Chinese government has rejected reports that President Xi asked President Putin to delay any invasion of Ukraine until after next month’s Winter Olympic Games in Beijing.

Citing an unnamed diplomat in Beijing, Bloomberg reported that it was possible that Xi had asked Putin in a recent call not to invade Ukraine during the games, which begin a week on Friday.

However, the claim drew an angry response from Zhao Lijian, spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry, who called it “sheer fabrication”.

“This report not only smears and taunts the China-Russia relations but also is an intentional interference and sabotage of the Beijing Winter Olympics,” Zhao said.

Yesterday (Wednesday) a top American diplomat said the US believed that Putin remained poised to use force against Ukraine by mid-February despite mounting pressure to de-escalate the conflict.

“I have no idea whether he’s made the ultimate decision, but we certainly see every indication that he is going to use military force sometime perhaps [between] now and the middle of February,” said Wendy Sherman, the deputy secretary of state.

Sherman, who met with her Russian counterpart earlier this month in Vienna in an attempt to warn Moscow against invading its neighbour, said that Putin’s planning could be affected by the Winter Games.

“We all are aware that the Beijing Olympics begin on February 4, the opening ceremony, and President Putin expects to be there,” she told the Yalta European Strategy forum. “I think that probably President Xi Jinping would not be ecstatic if Putin chose that moment to invade Ukraine, so that may affect his timing.”

During last month’s call between the Russian and Chinese leaders, Putin told Xi he would attend the opening ceremony of the Games on February 4 in a show of solidarity after the US, Britain, Canada and Australia announced a diplomatic boycott over human rights abuses in China.

Xi expressed support for his “old friend” Putin in the face of sanctions threatened by the West if he invades Ukraine. Xi called for “more joint actions to effectively safeguard security interests”, while Putin hailed the bilateral ties as being “at an all-time high, reflecting a high level of strategic mutual trust”.

China has advocated for a peaceful solution to the Ukraine crisis. On Tuesday Zhao said China supported the call by Antonio Guterres, the UN secretary-general, that all sides observe the UN Olympic Truce resolution during the Games.

“China has always adhered to the promise of peace and practised true multilateralism,” Zhao said. “China also calls on all countries to take the advantage of the Beijing Winter Games to narrow differences through dialogue, to replace confrontation with co-operation, to enhance mutual understanding and to promote world peace and development.”

The Chinese government’s relations with Russia have warmed under Xi, who described Putin as an “old friend”.

Along with Iran, the two countries began a large scale joint military exercise in the northern Indian Ocean on Friday. The 2022 Marine Security Belt drills are the third exercises to have been carried out by the three countries.

The Times