Our reporter Li Meng
On the 22nd, British Defense Secretary Shaps groundlessly accused China of "providing or preparing" to provide lethal weapons assistance to Russia. This is the first time that Britain accuses China of trying to provide Russia with weapons for use in the Ukrainian battlefield. On the same day, Sullivan, Assistant to the President of the United States for National Security Affairs, asked about Sharps' remarks, and said that the United States had previously expressed concern about China's possible supply of arms to Russia, but so far no relevant information has been found. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin responded on the 23rd that we condemn British politicians for their groundless and irresponsible smear remarks against China. We have noticed that the relevant remarks of the British side have not even been recognized by their "close allies".
According to Reuters on the 23rd, Sharps said at a defense conference in London that the evidence obtained by US and British defense intelligence showed that "deadly aid is being or will be transported from China to Russia and into Ukraine. I think this is a major development". Sharps did not reveal evidence to support this statement. But he said that since the outbreak of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the trade between China and Russia has increased by 64%. "They are supporting each other". He claimed to be worried about it. According to the British Financial Times, regarding Sharps' remarks, Sullivan said that Washington had not observed that China directly provided weapons to Russia, and added that he would have a dialogue with the British side on this matter.
British Defense Secretary Shaps accused China of "providing or preparing" deadly weapons assistance to Russia for no reason on the 22nd
In this regard, Wang Wenbin said on the 23rd that it must be pointed out that the British side, not the Chinese side, was involved in pouring oil into the fire on the Ukrainian issue. It is reported that as early as two years ago, Russia and Ukraine reached an agreement on ending the conflict. It is precisely because Britain and other parties blocked the conflict, which has delayed the conflict so far. At present, while China and the international community are working together to cool down the situation, the British side once again makes irresponsible remarks, which deserves people's vigilance.
Since the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, western countries have provided tens of billions of dollars of weapons and assistance to Ukraine. The Chinese Embassy in the United States said last month that Beijing had not provided weapons and that China was not the maker or party to the Ukrainian crisis. During his visit to China at the end of April, US Secretary of State Brynken said that there was no indication that Beijing was sending weapons to Russia for use in the Ukrainian battlefield.
Li Guanjie, a research fellow at the British Research Center of the Shanghai Institute of Global Governance and Regional Country Studies, Shanghai International Studies University, said in an interview with the Global Times on the 23rd that, first of all, Sharps' statement does not have enough evidence, it is just a speculation. Putin has just visited China recently. As the British Defense Secretary, Sharps' speech represents a gesture and reaction of British officials to the relationship between China and Russia. Second, the above remarks made by the Shapps election at the time when the UK set the date for the general election meant that the party's attention in the general election was enhanced by hyping China related issues. Up to now, the British Labor Party has taken the lead in the opinion polls. Sharps' irresponsible remarks further demonstrate that the ruling party has no confidence in the upcoming election. In addition, Sharps also wants to win some benefits for the military by exaggerating external threats.
As experts said, Sharps also mentioned on the 23rd that the NATO 75th Anniversary Summit will be held in July. At that time, he will call for an overall increase in the minimum standard of defense spending of NATO member countries, from the current 2% of GDP to 2.5%. The UK has committed to achieving this goal by 2030.
Wang Wenbin said on the 23rd, "We advise British politicians to discredit China, which can neither change the passive situation of the UK on the Ukraine issue nor solve the intractable problems facing the UK at home. Instead of attacking China for no reason, it is better to reflect on what role the UK has played in the Ukraine issue."
Extended Reading
Interview with Wang Wen: As China and Russia approach, what are the West afraid of?
Wang Wen, Executive Dean and doctoral supervisor of Chongyang Institute of Finance, Renmin University of China, is a "traveler" in the field of Sino Russian relations. In 2022, he intensively investigated 21 cities in Russia and asked President Putin and Foreign Minister Lavrov face-to-face. Over the past two years, he has gone to Russia for research as many as 6 times and accumulated a lot of first-hand materials. It is worth mentioning that Wang Wen is also a visiting professor at Moscow State University.
President Putin's visit to China has attracted great attention all over the world. In fact, his visit has a very important background, that is, the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Russia. Looking forward to the future from the intersection of history and reality, how can China Russia relations become a model of the relationship between the world's major powers and each other's largest neighbors? With this core issue in mind, Shenzhen Satellite TV Direct News interviewed Wang Wen in Beijing on the 17th.
Wang Wen's interview with reporters
We underestimate Russia on three levels
Wang Wen said that the past two years have been a rare observation period for Russia's national sports, so he spent about three months in Russia, in order to deeply and deeply understand what has happened to our largest neighbor in a century without great changes. Through cross analysis, he believes that the Chinese public has a deep misunderstanding of Russia, which is manifested in three aspects of underestimation.
The first is to underestimate the stability of Russian politics. Putin won 87.28% of the vote in the general election. His research visit to about 200 people in Russia also confirmed the strong sense of identity of Russians.
The second is to underestimate the resilience of the Russian economy. In fact, Russia ranks fifth in the world in terms of purchasing power parity GDP. The deep reason is that Russia is extremely rich in resources. In terms of oil, energy, iron ore, water resources, forests and other resources, Russia's total resource value exceeds 700 trillion dollars, while the United States, ranking second, has only four or five hundred trillion dollars. Resources play an important anchor role in Russia's economy and currency. This is the underlying reason why it can withstand more than a dozen rounds of more than 20000 sanctions from the United States and the West. Moreover, the US and Western sanctions have also become an opportunity for Russia to restart some previously abandoned industries.
The third is to underestimate the quality of the Russian people. Wang Wen mentioned that even in small cities, Russians show a high level of artistic literacy, and many people will dress up to attend art exhibitions and museums, which is rarely seen in the United States and Europe. Moreover, the proportion of the population with undergraduate education in Russia is about 50%, that in the United States is about 40%, and that in China is less than 10%. During his research in more than 20 Russian cities, Wang Wen, although he did not understand Russian, could travel freely in English.
Russia's resurgence is a high probability event
Wang Wen said that this conflict is the largest external conflict Russia has faced since the end of World War II, but at least based on his own research experience, there is no substantial change in the life and work of Russians at present, and cities are as safe and orderly as ever. The more you go east, the less the atmosphere of war will be.
During the beginning of the conflict in 2022, Russia has also suffered great impacts in economy, finance and trade, "but now it has basically gone out of the predicament". Westerners' strategy at first relied on extreme sanctions to defeat Russia, or even dismember Russia, but now it has proved to be invalid. Wang Wen believes that Russia's re emergence is a high probability event. That is why China should further study Russia and strengthen the guidance of the expected process. In other words, 10 years, 20 years or more later, Russia has really risen. Does Russia feel close to China at that time? Just as China has been reforming and opening up for more than 40 years, it is precisely because Americans participated in this process at the beginning that many Chinese people feel close to the United States.
Wang Wen believes that Russia is China's largest neighbor, so we should look at Russia beyond the shackles of ideology, geography and historical concepts, and see Russia as a "potential stock". "If it is a potential stock, why don't we go bottom hunting?"
The Russian people "prefer Chinese goods rather than like them, and more importantly, they see the truth in adversity"
Wang Wen told Shenzhen Satellite TV Direct News that he had observed in large and small cities in Russia that nearly 90% of European and American brands had withdrawn from the Russian market, so Russian consumers' sense of closeness to Chinese goods was greatly enhanced, and the influence of Chinese brands in the Russian market was also significantly strengthened. Taking automobiles as an example, six of the ten most famous automobile brands in Russia are Chinese. "This is not love, but preference, because adversity shows true love". In terms of bilateral economic and trade figures, the bilateral trade volume last year exceeded 240 billion US dollars, with a year-on-year growth of 26.3%. This growth rate has lasted for several years, greatly exceeding the world's expectations, and even exceeding the expectations of both China and Russia. If it develops at this speed, Russia will become China's second largest trading partner in three years. Taking economy and trade as the ballast, Wang Wen said that he was very optimistic about the sustainable development of the strategic relationship between the two countries in the future.
For some public opinions in the United States and the West hyped that the Sino Russian economy and trade had slightly decreased by 2% last month, according to which they claimed that the Sino Russian economy and trade had reached the ceiling. Wang Wen believed that what the speculator never mentioned was that Putin's visit to China further opened up the space for economic and trade cooperation between the two countries and further consolidated the foundation. "The fluctuation of individual months is normal, which has both exchange rate factors and foreign trade market factors".
The picture shows Chinese cars to be exported to Russia (information picture)
Putin's "special forces" visit to China is the embodiment of deep mutual trust between China and Russia
Wang Wen noted that Putin took the oath of office on the 7th and visited China on the 16th, with a particularly tight schedule, which can be called "special forces", which confirms that Russia has placed China as its diplomatic priority. Putin also brought a number of senior officials this time. At the beginning of the new government in place, he compacted China Russia cooperation and exchanged views with China extensively. After returning home, he is expected to adjust various work arrangements according to the results of his visit to China. This is a manifestation of deep strategic mutual trust.
In a written interview with Xinhua News Agency before his current visit to China, Putin stressed that he had met with Xi Jinping more than 40 times. Wang Wen believes that without the leadership of the exchanges between the heads of state, China Russia relations cannot reach today's high level. People's energy is always limited, more than 40 times, which has exceeded the number of times most people meet people other than relatives and colleagues. The profound friendship between the two heads of state goes beyond the intergovernmental level and also affects the cultural and social levels of the two countries.
This is of positive significance to China - the stability of the northern border is one of the foundations of national stability. The more than 4000 km boundary line between China and Russia is "undefended". Wang Wen said that he once drove 800 km from Mohe River in Heilongjiang Province to Heihe River on his left, which is the boundary river between China and Russia. Seeing that there is no border defense station in Russia's mountains, such a high level of strategic mutual trust and security mutual trust has enabled China to devote more energy to domestic economic development and construction.
"So it is the foresight of the two heads of state that has saved both countries from the dilemma of security in the process of becoming great powers to each other, and has made the exchanges between the two countries go beyond the dilemma of the game of great powers, the arms race, and the surrounding conflicts in the western tradition, making us more and more focused on improving the well-being of our citizens.".
Russia is not dependent on China, China and Russia are equal
The reason why the United States and the West recently hyped that China and Russia are approaching is that "Russia depends on China". Wang Wen believes that this is to sow discord. "Russia is not dependent on China, but China and Russia are equal". This equality is reflected in the high degree of strategic autonomy of both countries. Cooperation is a historical choice and the choice of the people. This is not a slogan, but an essence.
In 2022 and 2023, Wang Wen's dialogue was called Alexander Dukin, a Russian political scholar who was "Putin's philosopher". He stressed to Dukin that "China's independence is much more precious than its direct support to Russia". Wang Wen further explained this view in an exclusive interview. He believes that Russia is very clear that independence is a tradition of China's diplomacy. First of all, China's independence has always followed the international rules centered on the United Nations Charter, and has also constantly defended the international norms of peace and win-win cooperation.
Wang Wen believes that the conflict between Russia and Ukraine is unfortunate. "It is Russia's response to NATO's continuous squeeze on Russia's strategic living space and infringement of Russia's right to development". It is just that Russia has used a radical way to "prefer to be broken into pieces rather than destroyed", "which is tolerable but which is intolerable", and has taken special military action to break the western repression. In this process, China has always maintained its independence, maintained its own views, and will not give Russia any so-called military assistance in military operations, but the goal is the same, that is, to work hard for the reform of sovereignty, dignity and a better international system.
However, China's restraint was still discredited by the United States and the West, which organized the issue and took the opportunity to take so-called "sanctions" against some Chinese enterprises. Wang Wen pointed out that the US sanctions are illegal, and any unilateral sanctions beyond the scope of the UN's authorization are not in line with international law, which is absolutely unacceptable to China.
Wang Wen stressed that he opposed the view of the United States and the West that normal trade between China and Russia is regarded as China's support for Russia. Trade is the right of sovereign states. "Communication with Russia is equivalent to supporting Russia's military action against Russia and Ukraine, and this logic is problematic". Wang Wen said that he had said to the West on international occasions more than once, "If China really wants to support Russia as you support Ukraine, you will lose out.".
Ukraine crisis: China is the only major country that does not provide weapons to any party
"China has not given Russia any drones, nor any tanks or armaments. China has such a powerful manufacturing capacity, even stronger than the sum of Western countries. If we really want to support Russia, it is difficult to say that Russia will fight so long in this special military action? Are you trying to force us to support Russia's military operations? "
"The West has deceived people too much, which can also be reflected from this issue". Wang Wen stressed that China also maintains good relations with Ukraine, which is ignored by the West. In fact, the Ukrainian government agrees with the principles and propositions put forward by the Chinese government. China hopes to resolve the crisis politically.
"China is the only big country that has not provided weapons and equipment to either side of the war.". Therefore, China is the real peaceful party. The special envoy of the Chinese government has made three rounds of mediation to solve the problem, precisely because the United States hopes that this conflict will continue and meet the so-called hegemonic interests.
In May 2023, Ambassador Li Hui, Special Representative of the Chinese Government for Eurasian Affairs, held talks with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kuleba during his visit to Kiev
As China and Russia approach, what are the United States and the West afraid of?
Wang Wen believes that the intention of the United States and the West to interfere with the approach of China and Russia is very obvious, and the reason is also very obvious, that is, they are afraid of the alliance between China and Russia, and then break the hegemony of the United States and the West, especially the United States. In fact, China and Russia have long stressed that they are "partners and non aligned", which is conducive to the international order.
The United States and the West fear that the approach of China and Russia will have an impact on their unequal international political, trade, financial, cultural and other orders. In fact, the United States and the West have long occupied and want to continue to bully developing countries, but this is not in line with the world trend. In fact, the BRICS, SCO and other organizations led by China and Russia have won the support of a large number of emerging economies, and only a few American and Western countries oppose them. These new public goods of international cooperation represent the basic demands of developing countries for change and development rights, and should not be slandered.
Wang Wen once put forward ten suggestions on developing China Russia relations. He told Shenzhen Satellite TV Direct News that he did not think that the development of Sino Russian relations would destroy the relationship between China and the West. On the contrary, the better Sino Russian relations are, the better the relationship between China and the United States, and the relationship between China and the West will be. "Think about it, if the Sino Russian relationship goes bad, will the relationship between China and the United States, and between China and the West become better? It will only be more bullied by Westerners, and more suppressed by Westerners using so-called trade, science and technology, energy, currency and ideological areas. So I think it is not a matter of choice, but rather a relationship of progress. The development of China Russia relations and the international relations between China and the United States and the West will make it possible to better change and promote in the future, otherwise both sides will lose ".
Wang Wen believes that opening up is China's basic national policy, China's development of foreign relations is "ongoing", and China is willing to develop good relations with all countries in the world.
Author: Chen Ke, producer of Live Broadcast of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan on Shenzhen Satellite TV; Huang Rujuan, Beijing correspondent of Shenzhen Satellite TV Direct News
