Sino-Russian Joint Statement concerning the Deepening of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in the New Era

The following are my takeaways from the  current March 2023 “Sino-Russian Joint Statement concerning the Deepening of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in the New Era”.

Many topics had been touched upon before, in Beijing’s and Moscow’s “joint statement on international relations”, issued in Beijing in February 2022, but that statement had been issued shortly before Russia tried a full invasion of Ukraine.

According to the March 2023 statement, Sino-Russian relations are not similar to military and political alliances of the cold-war era, and not directed against third countries. Beijing and Moscow say they want to build “exemplary major-power relations” – viewing each others as “priority partners”, respecting each other all along, and treating each other as equals.

That’s basically the same model Xi Jinping tried to introduce into Chinese-American relations ten years ago, as described by Xinhua back then in June 2013, and further explained by Yang Jiechi, CPC Foreign Affairs Leading Small Group secretary at the time.

The March 2023 statement then highlights the usual emerging multi-polar world, one where “peace, development, cooperation and win-win are the unstoppable historic trend” (reads as if there had been no international cooperation before 2023), and an increasingly strong position of emerging markets and developing countries and where regional powers (地区大国, Russia? :)))  “resolutely defend their legitimate interests”.

^{Bragging in German, eating humble pie in Chinese: Sputnik/Rossya Segodnya propaganda celebrates first anniversary of full-scale Ukraine invasion as “dawn of a new world order (Febr 24, 2023) and covers Russia’s support for “China’s core interests” (March 22, 2023)}

Economic Cooperation

The two sides “adhere to the principle of mutual benefit” and intend to further deepen cooperation in the fields of modernisation.  A fair and predictable investment environment is to be created, and financial cooperation (with increased use of own currencies) and mutual supplies of agricultural products and food (互输农产品和粮食的多样性和供应量) are also on the agenda. There’s talk about diversity in those supplies, too, so it seems to avoid the question if this is meant to support food security in China, or if it is just meant to make Russian markets more diverse.
Increased use of own currencies isn’t a new topic. Xi Jinping raised the topic in a speech to a Gulf-Cooperation Council audience, too, in December last year, and Putin had advocated it as soon as in 2008. Cooperation on technology and innovation, such as AI, internet of things, 5G, low-carbon economy are also mentioned by the 2023 joint statement.

The remarks about iinvestment also refer to a Sino-Russian Investment Cooperation Planning Outline (中俄投资合作规划纲要), which is part of the 2001 Sino-Russian Treaty of Friendship.  Supply chain stability and security, optimized trade structures and cooperation between small and medium-sized enterprises of both sides are to be promoted.

It’s hard to tell from declarations like this one how far it will help Russia to develop its economy, but it does probably throw Moscow an economic lifeline. That, however, goes without saying even without this month’s joint statement. China doesn’t want Putin to go under.

Russian-Ukrainian war

Which leads us to the Russian-Ukrainian war.

The two sides express deep concern about comprehensive challenges for international security, express believe that there is a shared fate of all countries and peoples and that no country should achieve its own security at the costs of other countries’ security.
双方对国际安全面临的严峻挑战深表关切，认为各国人民命运与共，任何国家都不应以他国安全为代价实现自身安全。

It hadn’t read much differently in February 2022, a few weeks prior to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine:

The sides are gravely concerned about serious international security challenges and believe that the fates of all nations are interconnected. No State can or should ensure its own security separately from the security of the rest of the world and at the expense of the security of other States. The international community should actively engage in global governance to ensure universal, comprehensive, indivisible and lasting security.

Less obviously related to the Ukraine war, maybe, but from the 2023 statement, one year on:

The two sides emphasize the significance of the “Joint Statement of the Leaders of the Five Nuclear-Weapon States on Preventing Nuclear War and Avoiding Arms Races” and reaffirm that “a nuclear war cannot be won or won”.
双方强调《五个核武器国家领导人关于防止核战争与避免军备竞赛的联合声明》的重要意义，重申“核战争打不赢也打不得”。

How reliable this assurance will be, remains to be seen. Russia has toyed with nuclear threats during the past year, and continues to do so.

Multipolar World

In the broadly  and vaguely defined field of “terrorism”, the 2023 statement is more detailed than in that of 2022, demanding “objective, fair and professional” investigation of Nord Stream attack (应对“北溪”管线爆炸事件进行客观、公正、专业的调查) and agreeing to strengthening law enforcement cooperation concerning the “three evils”, including color revolutions, East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), transnational organized crime, economic crimes, and drugs trade. Listing ETIM, popular uprisings and organized crime in one go is certainly an intentional step to make the Sino-Russian public (and unknown swathes of international public opinion) get used to this kind of world view.

As for the world beyond bilateral relations, the multipolar one with the unstoppable historic trends of peace, development, cooperation and win-win, Beijing and Moscow emphasize “the democratization of international relations“, every country’s “right to choose its own path of development (with the likely exceptions of Taiwan and Ukraine, if it is up to China and Russia), and a continued implementation of the Agreement on Economic and Trade Cooperation between the People’s Republic of China and the Eurasian Economic Union signed on May 17, 2018.^*)

Taiwan

As mentioned before, “democratization of international relations” isn’t for everyone in the Sino-Russian statements  – not for Ukraine or Taiwan.

Russia reiterates its scrupulous respect of the one-China principle, acknowledges that Taiwan is an inseparable part of Chinese territory, opposes any form of “Taiwan independence”, firmly supports China’s actions to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
(俄方重申恪守一个中国原则，承认台湾是中国领土不可分割的一部分，反对任何形式的“台独”，坚定支持中方维护本国主权和领土完整的举措。)

Indeed, both issues. Ukraine and Taiwan, are closely related. Both China and Russia intend to annex foreign territory (Russia has already done so, although not to the extent  it would like to, and China, if it wants to attack Taiwan, will have to depend on its Russian hinterland. However, Moscow’s compliance with Beijing’s “one-China” charade is no particular hint into that direction, as it is being played along with by many other countries too, although in varying degrees. All the same, China’s planned aggression of its own, against Taiwan, is one of the reasons why it needs to cultivate relations with Moscow as closely as it does.

Military concerns

China and Russia (apparently) see U.S. in breach of Biological Weapons Convention, and call for institutionalized effective inspection mechanisms. Demands for  were quite likely included at Russia’s particular request. The Ukraine bioweapons conspiracy theory of March 2022 – a year ago – may remain a scarecrow in the Moscow muppet show, and probably works well on parts of the global public. The March 2023 statement deplores a U.S. “cold-war mentality” and the “negative influence” of the Indo-Pacific Strategy” on regional peace and stability in that region.

As far as Beijing and Moscow are concerned, NATO isn’t welcome in the Indo-Pacific either. The statement says that NATO should remain a regional (i. e. European) and defensive alliance. The statement also expresses concern about NATO “undermining” Asia-Pacific “peace & stability”.

Generally speaking, China seems to get more out of the strategic partnershp and the “major-power relationship” than Russia. That becomes obvious, because apart from the EAEU bits, most concerns are rather about China’s than about Russia’s. There are, however, demands that there should be no unilateral sanctions without approval of the United Nations Security Council (not an issue in the 2022), and a note that

the two sides oppose politization of international cultural cooperation, and discrimination against people in the fields of culture, education, science, and sports, based on nationality, language, religion, political or other beliefs, or national or social origin.
双方反对国际人文合作政治化，反对以国籍、语言、宗教、政治或其他信仰、民族或社会出身为由歧视文化、教育、科学、体育界人士。

This may be read as a hint to the “Olympic Committee”, among others.

Covid Pandemic

I’ve left that out here. Both Sino-Russian statements, Febr 2022 and March 2023, are full of it, with the usual complaints and demands, but the world is moving on.

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Note

*)

There needs to be a mention of the institution that are supposed to help bring about the multipolar world, according to Beijing and Moscow. That would be – according both to this month’s and the 2022 statements – the WTO (including remarks that can be read as a Chinese reaction to “discrimination” against it concerning the chip industry), the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), BRICS, G20, and APEC. Accession of the African Union was added to the G20 issue this time, but hadn’t been a year ago.

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Related / Updates

「主要重点是经济方面和高科技领域」, sputnik.cn, Mar 26, 2023
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EU: “Just protecting the freedom of expression”

All the news that’s fit to blog.

Fri, Febr 24, 2023	One year after the outbreak of the Russo-Ukrainian war, China publishes a Confucius-says “position paper”. Originally, it had been advised as a “peace plan” by China’s supreme diplomat Wang Yi, but has since been de-ambitioned. Meantime, China’s foreign-ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin (汪文斌) offers a clue as to why: FMPRC tweet, Febr 24, 2023
Thu, Febr 23, 2023	The central committee of Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP, 民進黨) approved a timetable that presidential nominations would be decided by April 12, and Legislative Yuan nominations in May. It appears to be widely accepted among the party’s legislators that, in the light of a poor showing in Taiwan’s “mid-term elections”, i. e. the country’s local elections in November 2022, more time is needed to prepare for the nation-wide presidential and legislative elections next year. Lai Ching-te, the incumbent Tsai administration’s current Vice President, has recently been elected chairman of the DPP, and Chen Jien-jen, Lai’s predecessor as Taiwan’s Vice President from 2016 to 2020, became head of the cabinet in January this year. Source: 央廣 / Radio Taiwan International
Wed, Febr 22, 2023	High-level foreign-policy and defense officials from Japan and China met at Japan’s foreign ministry in Tokyo on Wednesday. It was the first such meeting after an interruption of about four years. Chinese Deputy foreign minister Sun Weidong (孙卫东) was quoted as saying that there was “an important consensus” that neither country posed a threat for the other. However, Sun also said that there were Chinese concerns about Japan’s “strategic documents” issued in 2022, and Japan’s increasing cooperation with “outside forces” (域外力量), and about “negative tendencies” in Taiwan. Source: Radio Japan
Wed, Febr 22, 2023	Russian president Vladimir Putin met China’s chief diplomat Wang Yi in Moscow on Wednesday. The Kremlin published a detailed account of the meeting the same day. Source: Kremlin
Wed, Febr 15, 2023	Pyongyang was said to have gone under a Covid-related lockdown in late January, allegedly lasting from January 25 to 30. But was there a lockdown at all? Source: SinoNK
Tue, Febr 14, 2023	Chen Xuyuan (陈戌源) was – effectively, maybe not nominally yet – fired as chairman of the Chinese Football Association earliert his month, after having been confronted with the usual suspicions of “serious violations of discipline”, which appears to serve as a regular CPC codeword for corruption charges. Chen, a Shanghai native born in 1956, was also the football association’s deputy party secretary. Source: Ifeng
Mo, Febr 13, 2023	“Less then half the world is on the internet”, a BBC documentary broadcast told the audience on February 11, two days ahead of World Radio Day. Source: BBC
Tue, Febr 7, 2023	Critics of the EU’s censorship policy against Russia’s foreign-language service “RT” had a field day early this month, after the EU’s high-representative for for foreign affairs, Josep Borrell, had told a “European Union External Action” (EEAS) conference that by imposing “restrictive measures on the Kremlin’s propaganda machinery and effectively ban them from operating within the European Union”, “we are not attacking the freedom of expression, we are just protecting the freedom of expression”. The EU’s “restrictive measures” aren’t limited to banning RT work from within the EU. Access to RT from EU countries is only possible via VPN. This includes the organization’s German and Chinese services. Main Source: EEAS

Newly appointed Russian Ambassador to China addresses Chinese Public

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Igor Morgulov is Russia’s new ambassador to China, replacing Andrey Denisov there.

According to Russia’s state-run “Sputnik” website, Morgulov was born on May 4, 1961 and graduated from Lomonosov Moscow State University’s Asian and African Countries’ Research Institute. He speaks Chinese and English as foreign languages (even “fluently” according to RIAC, a thinktank’s website). He held the post of Counselor and Minister of the Russian embassy in China from 2006 to 2009, headed the Russian foreign ministry’s Asian Department next, and was appointed deputy foreign minister in 2011. Still according to “Sputnik, he has been awarded the “For Merit to the Fatherland” medals, order 4 and order 2, among other awards. “Sputnik” also quotes from President Putin’s presidential decrees that remove Morgulov from his previous post and appoint him to his new one, similar to the way TASS newsagency also does.

When you google Morgulov’s role as a deputy foreign minister, you’ll probably get the impression that central, east and southeast Asia were his main fields of work from 2011 to 2022, as well – including Russia’s relations with North and South Korea, as well as the Korean nuclear issue.
As a rule, there appear to be about half a dozen to ten deputy-minister posts in Moscow – see “Current Deputy Foreign Ministers” on Wikipedia. In that light, becoming Russia’s ambassador to China should count as quite a promotion (it’s probably the most important embassy for Moscow anywhere around the world).

Morgulov addressed the Chinese public by video this week, published by China News Service on Youtube on Friday.

^{Click photo for video}

Translation:

亲爱的中国朋友们，你们好。首先请允许我自我介绍一下。我是莫尔古洛夫。本月１３日俄罗斯总统普京把我任命为新的俄罗斯驻华大使。对我来讲，这是一个很大的荣幸，也是很大的责任。	Dear Chinese friends, pleased to meet you. Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Morgulov. On the 13th of this month, Russian President Putin has appointed me as Russia’s new ambassador in China. For me, that’s a great honor and a great responsibility.
１９８３年，作为第一批苏联留学生的一员，我首次来到中国。从那时候起，我的职业生涯同你们的古老而日新月异的美丽的国家紧密地联系在一起。在当今的复杂多变的国际形势下，俄中两国建立的新时代全面战略协作伙伴关系具有特殊的意义。	In 1983, I came to China for the first time, as a member of a group of Soviet students abroad. Ever since, my professional career has been closely linked to your ancient and rapidly progressing beautiful country. In today’s complicated and unsettled international situation, the comprehensive strategic partnership established by Russia and China in the new era is of special significance.
在新的岗位上，我愿意同中国朋友们积极合作，为落实好俄中两国元首所达成的重要的共识进一步推动两国关系全面发展，加强俄中两国人民之间的传统友谊而努力。朋友们，下个月我将要抵达北京。期待与大家尽快相见。谢谢。	On my new post, I wish to work actively with our Chinese friends, to implement well the important consensus reached between the Russian and Chinese heads of state and to promote our two countries’ relations further, and to make great efforts to strengthen the traditional friendship between the peoples of our two countries. Friends, next month, I will arrive in Beijing. I hope to see you all very soon. Thank you.

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Related

“Important choice, firm action”, Sept 14, 2022
Restive bulk of allies, May 6, 2022

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What do Xi Jinping’s and Kim Jong-un’s Congratulatory Telegrams look like?

Punched tape, email, portable document format? Don’t know about you, but when I hear that Putin sends a congratulatory telegram to Kim Jong-un, I’d really like to know what that telegram looks like. If you do, too, keep reading. If not, don’t let me bore you.

^{Victorious triple chin}

“Ars Technica”, in a blogpost of June 2013, gives us a first clue:

Samuel Morse’s version of telegraphy—Morse code over the wire—died a long time ago. It was replaced by Telex, a switch-based system similar to telephone networks, developed in Germany in 1933. The German system, run by the Federal Post Office, essentially used a precursor to computer modems and sent text across the wire at about 50 characters per second. Western Union built the US’ first nationwide Telex, an acronym for Teleprinter Exchange, in the late 1950s.

Ordinary Chinese cadres appear to send faxes – they are considered to be more reliable or legally binding than emails, and fax machines are relatively easily available.

As I have no idea what North Korea‘s or Russia’s “telegrams” look like, I’ll focus on China’s. The political folklore on both sides of the Yalu River is becoming more alike by the day, anyway.

There is an article concerning diplomatic protocol available online, written by quite an authority, it seems, but without verifiable autenticity. According to  the info provided, the autor would be a former advisor or counselor  at the Chinese foreign ministry’s (FMPRC) protocol department (礼宾司). His name is Wu Deguang, born in 1938.

This is how he is quoted:

Congratulatory telegrams and congratulatory messages are most frequently used methods of congratulations. State leaders, foreign ministers and diplomatic envoys overseas generally use diplomatic letters, diplomatic telegrams or formal diplomatic notes  to send letters or telegrams of congratulations. Leaders’ congratulatory telegrams can usually be passed on by the relevant embassies or consulates abroad, or directly be sent by electronic means (电传)^*).
贺电和贺函是最常用的祝贺方式。国家领导人、外长、驻外使节一般采用外交函件、外交电报或正式照会的方式发送贺函、贺电。领导人的贺电可通过有关驻外使领馆转递，也可通过电报局或经电传直接拍发。

Different from a lot of other things (and people), Chinese authorities don’t show congratulatory telegrams received around like trophies. So there remains an air of mystery around those messages, or their substance.

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Notes

^*) The “Yellowbridge” online dictionary explains “electronic means” as follows:

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August 15, 1945 Commemoration: Putin, Kim, according to KCNA

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Dizzying heights: Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin,
Vladivostok, April 25. 2019 (Source: Kremlin)

Putin to Kim Jong-un	金正恩收到普京发来的贺电
Pyongyang, August 15 (KCNA) — Kim Jong Un, president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, received a message of greeting from Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, president of the Russian Federation, on August 15.	朝中社平壤８月１５日电　朝鲜民主主义人民共和国国务委员长金正恩同志１５日收到了俄罗斯联邦总统弗拉基米尔•弗拉基米罗维奇•普京发来的贺电。
In the message, Putin extended sincere felicitation to the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un on the occasion of the day of liberation, a national holiday.	普京总统在贺电中表示，值此民族节日——解放日之际，谨向尊敬的金正恩阁下致以由衷的祝贺。
The message noted that the two countries have deeply kept the memories of servicepersons of the Red Army and patriots of Korea who fought shoulder to shoulder for the liberation of Korea.	我们两国珍藏着为了实现朝鲜的解放，并肩作战的红军战士们和朝鲜的爱国者的回忆。
The glorious traditions of friendship and cooperation gained in the grim days serve as a durable foundation for developing the good neighborly relations between the Russian Federation and the DPRK today, it stressed.	在严峻的年代里缔造的友好合作的光荣传统，如今也成为发展俄罗斯联邦和朝鲜民主主义人民共和国之间睦邻关系的牢固基础。
It said that we would continue to expand the comprehensive and constructive bilateral relations with common efforts,	普京总统表示相信，我们做出共同努力，将继续扩大综合性的建设性双边关系。
adding that this would entirely conform with the interests of the peoples of the two countries and contribute to strengthening the security and stability of the Korean peninsula and the whole of the Northeastern Asian region.	这将完全符合我们两国人民的利益，而且将为加强朝鲜半岛和整个东北亚地区安全与稳定做出贡献。
It wished Kim Jong Un good health and success and all citizens of the DPRK happiness and prosperity. -0-	普京总统在贺电中祝愿尊敬的金正恩阁下身体健康、事业有成，同时希望贵国的全体公民享受幸福和繁荣，并表示了敬意。（完）
http://www.kcna.kp (Juche111.8.15.)	http://www.kcna.kp (主体111.8.15.)

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Kim Jong-un to Putin	金正恩向普京发去贺电
Pyongyang, August 15 (KCNA) — Kim Jong Un, president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, sent a message of greeting to Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, president of the Russian Federation, on August 15.	朝中社平壤８月１５日电　朝鲜民主主义人民共和国国务委员长金正恩同志１５日向俄罗斯联邦总统弗拉基米尔•弗拉基米罗维奇•普京发去贺电。电文如下：
Kim Jong Un in the message extended the warm greetings to the president, the government and people of the Russian Federation on behalf of the government and the people of the DPRK on the occasion of the 77th anniversary of Korea’s liberation.	值此朝鲜解放７７周年之际，我以朝鲜民主主义人民共和国政府和人民的名义谨向你和俄罗斯联邦政府以及人民致以亲切的问候。
The servicepersons of the heroic Red Army showed the example of noble internationalism by dedicating their blood and precious lives to the struggle for liberating Korea, and merits and feats performed by them are deeply kept in the minds of the Korean people as an eternal monument, the message noted.	英勇的红军全体官兵在争取朝鲜解放的斗争中树立了无私奉献自己的鲜血和生命的国际主义的崇高典范，而且他们所建树的功绩和功勋作为永恒的纪念碑巍然屹立且永远珍藏在了我国人民的记忆中。
The DPRK-Russia friendship forged in the anti-Japanese war against the common enemy has been invariably consolidated and developed century after century, it noted, adding that the strategic and tactical cooperation, support and solidarity between the two countries have put on a new high stage in the common front for frustrating the hostile forces’ military threat and provocation, and high-handed and arbitrary practices.	在反对共同敌人的抗日大战年代里凝成的朝俄友谊跨世代和世纪不断得到巩固和发展下来，如今两国之间的战略战术合作和支持声援在粉碎敌对势力的军事威胁和挑衅、强权和专横的共同战线上正在提升到新的更高阶段。
It expressed the belief that the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries based on comradely friendship and militant unity would grow stronger in all fields on the basis of the agreements reached at the 2019 meeting in Vladivostok and thus contribute to the prosperity and wellbeing of the peoples of the two countries.	我表示相信，根植于同志式友谊和战斗团结的朝俄友好合作关系将本着２０１９年在符拉迪沃斯托克会晤中达成的协议精神，在各领域进一步得到蓬勃加强和发展，为实现两国人民的繁荣和福利做出贡献。
The message sincerely wished the Russian president good health and big success in his responsible work for defending the sovereignty and interests of the country and people and achieving the prosperity of the country. -0-	借此机会，衷心祝愿你身体健康，并在维护国家和人民的主权和利益、争取国家复兴的责任重大的工作中取得更大的成果。（完）
http://www.kcna.kp (Juche111.8.15.)	http://www.kcna.kp (主体111.8.15.)

Flames of War, deeply felt and lamented by China

The following is my translation of a Xinhua report, republished by the Chinese government (State Council). There’s also a translation by “China Daily”, on their “English-Language Solutions” website. Blend them together as you see fit.

It might be worth mentioning that one of the participants on Xi’s side was Ding Xuexiang (丁薛祥), the Communist Party’s general office director, although Xi probably took part in the “video summit” in his capacity as China’s head of state.

Chinese pyramid: That’s the way Xi likes it

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Main Link: Xi Jinping holds video summit with French and German leaders
习近平同法国德国领导人举行视频峰会
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March 8, 2022, 19:53, Xinhua
2022-03-08 19:53 来源： 新华社
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In the afternoon of March 8, Chinese state chairman Xi Jinping held a video summit with French president Macron and German chancellor Scholz.
新华社北京3月8日电 国家主席习近平3月8日下午在北京同法国总统马克龙、德国总理朔尔茨举行视频峰会。
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Xi Jinping pointed out that in the current world, once-in-a-hundred-years changes and the centennial pandemic situation go hand in hand. They bring global challenges that require global cooperation. China and Europe speak numerous common languages in terms of seeking peace, seeking development, and promoting cooperation. We must shoulder responsibilities to bring more stability and certainty to a turbulently changing world. The two sides must take a continuous and far-sighted approach to strengthen dialogue, maintain cooperation, and promote Chinese-European relations. China’s development will bring more space for Chinese-European cooperation. Based on the principle of mutual benefit and double-win, the two sides must maintain and deepen green and digital partnership relations and pragmatic cooperation in all fieds. The two sides should continue and maintain multilateralism, and advance major global agendas.
习近平指出，当今世界，百年变局和世纪疫情交织，带来很多全球性挑战，需要全球性合作。中欧在谋和平、求发展、促合作方面有很多共同语言。我们要拿出担当，为动荡变化的世界注入更多稳定性和确定性。双方要加强对话，坚持合作，推动中欧关系行稳致远。中国的发展将为中欧合作带来更大空间。双方要继续本着互利共赢原则，持续深化绿色、数字伙伴关系和各领域务实合作。双方要继续坚持多边主义，推进重大全球性议程。
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Macron and Scholz expressed congratulations regarding the successful holding of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games. The world is facing many challenges, and fighting alone will only worsen the situation. The European side attaches importance to China’s important and positive role in global affairs and wants to work closeley with China to make common efforts to solve climate change, public health and other important global challenges. The European side wants to work together with theChinese side to  successfully hold a European-Chinese leaders’ meeting, to promote a continuous forward development of French-Chinese and German-Chinese as well as European-Chinese relations.
马克龙、朔尔茨表示，祝贺中方成功举办北京冬奥会。当今世界面临诸多挑战，单打独斗，只会使形势恶化。欧方重视中国在世界事务中发挥的重要和积极作用，愿同中方紧密合作，共同努力解决气候变化、公共卫生等重大全球性挑战。欧方愿同中方一道，办好欧中领导人会晤，推动法中、德中以及欧中关系不断向前发展。
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The two sides exchanged views on the current situation in Ukraine.
双方重点就当前乌克兰局势交换意见。
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Macron and Scholz explained their opinions and positions concerning the current situation in Ukraine, saying that Europe is facing the most serious crisis since World War 2, and that France and Germany support a negotiated solution of the problem, to give peace a chance. They thanked the Chinese side for advocating humanitarian proposals. They want to strengthen communication and coordination with the Chinese side, mediate peace and promote talks to avoid further escalation of the situation which would create an even more serious humanitarian crisis.
马克龙、朔尔茨介绍了对当前乌克兰局势的看法和立场，表示欧洲正面临二战以来最严重危机，法德支持通过谈判解决问题，给和平一个机会。感谢中方提出人道主义局势倡议，愿同中方加强沟通协调，劝和促谈，避免局势进一步升级，产生更严重人道主义危机。
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Xi Jinping emphasized that the current situation in Ukraine is worrying. The re-ignition of the flames of war on the European continent is deeply felt and lamented by China. The Chinese side advocates that all countries’ sovereignty and territorial integrity are respected, that the United Nations’ charter’s objectives and principles should be complied with, that all countries’ reasonable concerns should be attached importance to, and all efforts directed at the peaceful solution of the crisis should be supported. The top priority job now is to avoid further escalation, let alone loss of control, in the tense situation. The Chinese side appreciates the French and the German efforts to mediate in the Ukrainian situation and wants to maintain communication and coordination with the French, German and European side to play a positive role together with the international community in accordance with any side’s requirements in this matter.
习近平强调，当前，乌克兰局势令人担忧，中方对欧洲大陆重燃战火深感痛惜。中方主张，各国主权、领土完整都应该得到尊重，联合国宪章宗旨和原则都应该得到遵守，各国合理安全关切都应该得到重视，一切有利于和平解决危机的努力都应该得到支持。当务之急是避免紧张局势升级，甚至失控。中方赞赏法德为斡旋乌克兰局势所作努力，愿同法方、德方和欧方保持沟通和协调，根据当事各方需要，同国际社会一道发挥积极作用。
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Xi Jinping emphasized that we must jointly support Russian-Ukrainian peace talks, maintain momentum in the two sides’ negotiations, overcome difficulties to keep the talks going, and to arrive at results and peace. We would like to call for the greatest degree of limits and restraint to avoid a large-scale humanitarian crisis. China has put forward a six-point initiative concerning the humanitarian situation in Ukraine and would like to provide Ukraine with further humanitarian material aid. We want to work together to reduce the negative impact of the crisis. The relevant sanctions are creating shocks for the stability of global finance, energy, transportation and supply chains, create burdens for the global economy already under the negative impact of the pandemic, and are disadvantageous for all sides. We must actively advocate common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security concepts. The Chinese side supports France and Germany setting out from Europe’s own interests, giving thought to lasting security in Europe, maintaining strategic independence and promoting the building of an equal, effective and sustainable European security framework. The Chinese side also views an equal dialogue between Europe, Russia, America and NATO with optimism.
习近平强调，我们要共同支持俄乌和谈，推动双方维护谈判势头，克服困难谈下去，谈出结果、谈出和平。我们要呼吁保持最大限度克制，防止出现大规模人道主义危机。中方提出了关于乌克兰人道主义局势的六点倡议，愿向乌克兰进一步提供人道主义物资援助。我们要一起努力减少危机造成的负面影响。有关制裁对全球金融、能源、交通、供应链稳定都会造成冲击，拖累疫情下负重前行的世界经济，对各方都不利。我们要积极倡导共同、综合、合作、可持续的安全观。中方支持法德两国从欧洲自身利益出发，为欧洲持久安全着想，坚持战略自主，推动构建均衡、有效、可持续的欧洲安全框架。中方也乐见欧俄美及北约开展平等对话。
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The two sides also exchanged views about the Iran nuclear issue.
双方还就伊朗核问题交换了意见。
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Ding Xuexiang, Yang Jiechi, Wang Yi, He Lifeng and others took part in the meeting.
丁薛祥、杨洁篪、王毅、何立峰等参加会议。
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“In a different World”

First of all, don’t worry. The world hasn’t really changed that much, but the above is a quote. As far as I’m concerned, we’ll be in a different world when the Bundestag, Germany’s federal parliament, passes a property tax to finance the rebuilding of our army, the Bundeswehr.

Also, the Chinese foreign minister says that “the cold war has long gone”.

Chinese worries (“Guanchazhe”, Shanghai, Febr 26):
Is the crying man really pro-Kiev,
rather than pro-Russian?
Are the Western media lying again?

But Twitter would be a useless distraction if I didn’t keep an account of what I learn there. So here goes.

February 22	Demonstration in Prague
Thousands of people gather on Prague’s Wenceslas Squareshow their solidarity with the Ukrainian people, Radio Prague, the Czech Republic’s foreign radio station, reports the following day. Ukraine’s ambassador Yevhen Perebyinis thanks them, and says that ” it really means a lot to us because we see that we are not alone.”
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February 23	“No plans to leave Kiev”
Andreas Umland, a political scientist who has lived in Kiev for about two decades, is currently in Germany, but plans to return to Kiev on Saturday, he says in an interview with Polish foreign radio’s German service, broadcast on February 23. He doesn’t expect an attack on Kiev.
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February 23	“China is watching us”
Latvia’s defense minister Artis Pabriks tells a TV station that “if we weren’t members of NATO and also of the EU, we would definitely be in the positon of Ukraine now – I can guarantee that,” and that “we have nowhere to retreat, because others are watching us. China is watching us.”
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February 23	“Nixon’s visit changed the world”
China is certainly watching the U.S. China policy. At 22:05 local time, party-affiliated tabloid “Huanqiu Shibao” publishes an editorial titled “Washington must not fall back from Nixon’s diplomatic legacy”, and quotes Nixon himself as referring to his visit, from February 21 to 28, 1972, as “world-changing”. The editorial speaks about “overall stability” in Sino-U.S. relations despites “ups and downs”, about “mutual benefit”, and “double-win”. 此后50年，中美关系虽然历经风雨但保持了总体稳定，成就了两个大国长达半个世纪的互利共赢。.It wasn’t true, “Huanqiu Shibao” argues, that only the USSR,considered an enemy by both at the time, had made Nixon’s initiative possible, as that alone couldn’t explain the comprehensive and rapid development, nor the amazing vitality that kept erupting once the ice between China and the U.S. had been broken. Those “old stubborns” who had “once opposed Nixon” seemed to be coming back to life, “Huanqiu Shibao” deplores. 当年反对尼克松的老顽固们仿佛纷纷复活了，历史和美国兜了一个大圈子。
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February 23	Own nukes for South Korea?
Seven out of ten citizens support the idea, reports South Korea’s foreign radio station KBS World, citing a Hankook Research survey. While tensions around Ukraine are rapidly rising in Europe, North Korea, of course, keeps testing missiles which run as a kind of background noise to South Koreans daily routine.Asked froom where they see the greatest threats to South Korea now, most respondent name North Korea,followed by China, Japan, and the U.S.. Asked which country would be the gravest threat in ten years, 56 percent name China.
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February 24	“Everything suggests that this is a large-scale invasion”
Austrian Radio’s Moscow correspondent states that “everything suggests that this is a large-scale invasion” (“alles deutet auf eine groß angelegte Invasion hin”). Austrian radio’s coverage in general follows this diction.
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February 24	Czech arms industry prepared to supply Ukraine
The Czech Republic’s arms industry is prepared to supply Ukraine with military material if the Czech government makes a decision in favor of that, Radio Prague’s German service quotes Jiří Hynek, chairman of the country’s arms industry association.
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February 24	“Pleasantries are no strategy”
Christoph Heusgen, a former foreign-policy and security-policy advisor who served Chancellor Merkel from 2005 to 2017, says that while it had been right to keep channels with Moscow open, they had always underestimated Putin’s brutality and unscrupulousness. That’s how Radio Poland’s German service quotes Heusgen in their daily press review.
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February 24/25	South Korea and Taiwan will join sanctions
Both South Korea and China announce that they will join international sanctions against Russia. South Korea’s foreign ministry says on Febr 24 that “South Korea, as a responsible member of the international community, will support and participate in international efforts, including economic sanctions, aimed at curbing Russia’s encroachment and resolving the situation peacefully.” On February 25, in a speech at National Cheng Kung University in Tainan, announces Taiwan’s participation in the sanctions, saying that “Taiwan is ready to do anything that might help achieve a peaceful resolution to the conflict”.
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February 24	Finland and Sweden
“It is important for Finland and Sweden to be involved in the Nato meeting, due to the situation in the Baltic Sea region, for example,” Yleisradio’s (Finland) English website quotes its country’s foreign minister, Pekka Haavisto. He reportedly also says that “we consider it important that Nato continues its open-door policy and that we can apply for membership if we wish.”
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February 24	Taiwanese citizens in Ukraine
There are still 33 Taiwanese citizens in Ukraine, reports Radio Taiwan International’s German service, despites requests from the Taiwan government to leave the country.
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February 24/25	Vietnam’s reaction
Vietnam’s foreign radio station’s foreign language programs are focused on the development of a strategic partnership with Singapore where state president Nguyen Xuan Phuc is visiting. There is a notice from a spokesperson of Vietnam’s foreign ministry however, on February 24, suggesting that substantial numbers of Vietnamese citizens are in Ukraine, and offering them help if needed.
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I’ve left the well-known newsitems (SWIFT cuts, arms supplies to Ukraine from other European countries, Nordstream 2 etc. out because they are well known. Think of this blogpost as a diary entry.

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Related

Sweden’s Donation, FoarP, Febr 27, 2022
No Quadriga for Nobody, July 18, 2011

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Circuses and Security: Putin-Xi Video Meeting on Dec 15, 2021

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The following is an excerpt from an FMPRC statement on a video meeting between Chinese party and state leader Xi Jinping and Russian president Vladimir Putin, conducted on December 15.

Xinhua/FMPRC, Dec 15, 2021

According to Wan Qingsong, a Russia researcher of Shanghai’s East China Normal University, one of Putin’s topics in his video meeting with Xi in December was the issue of Russia’s drafts on “security guarantees” from NATO. While the FMPRC statement of December 15 makes no mention of these drafts or a discussion of  them, Wan quoted Russia’s TASS newsagency as saying that Xi had expressed support for the “security guarantees'” initiative (俄罗斯官方通讯社塔斯社便在报道中写道，中俄领导人会晤时，中国表达支持俄罗斯提出的“安全保障”倡议).

This could be based on a TASS communiqué that quotes Yury Ushakov, one of President Putin’s foreign-policy advisors:

The Chinese chairman pointed out that he understood Russia’s concerns and fully supported our initiative on the development of security guarantees for Russia, Ushakov added. “The parties agreed to maintain contact on the matter. We will inform our Chinese colleagues about how talks and contacts with our American and NATO partners are going,” he pointed out.

Another TASS communiqué, dated Dec 16, mostly focuses on intended CSTO-China contacts.

From the FMPRC statement:

In a bit more than a month you will visit China to take part in the Beijing Olympic Winter Games’ opening ceremony, thus showing your support for the Chinese organization of the Games through practical action. Beijing will be the first city to have hosted both the Summer and the Winter Olympics. Currently, we are making all-out efforts in accordance with the priniciples of “simple, safe and splendid, and all work has basically been done. We will achieve mutual Olympic visits, and in the following two years, China and Russia will also organize the China-Russia Year of Sports Exchange. This should also be considered an opportunity to let sports exchanges be a bridge and a bond to strengthen our two countries’ and peoples’ mutual understanding and friendship. Your visit will also be our first offline meeting in two years. When the time has come, I hope to have thorough exchanges with you on bilateral relations and major international and regional issues, and I believe that we will reach still more significant consensus. I am really looking forward to our “Winter Olympics appointment” and would like to join hands with you to “advance into the future together”, to open a new, post-Covid chapter of Chinese-Russian relations.

习近平强调，再过一个多月，你即将访华并出席北京冬奥会开幕式，以实际行动展示对中方办会的支持。北京即将成为世界上首个既举办过夏季奥运会、又举办过冬季奥运会的城市。目前，我们正按照“简约、安全、精彩”的原则全力筹备，各项工作已经基本就绪。我们将实现奥运互访，明后两年中俄还将举办中俄体育交流年。要以此为契机，让体育交流成为增进两国人民相互了解和友谊的桥梁和纽带。你这次访华也将是我们近两年来首次线下会晤。我期待同你届时就双边关系、重大国际和地区问题进行深入交流，相信我们将达成更多新的重要共识。我对我们的“冬奥之约”十分期待，愿同你携手“一起向未来”，共同开启后疫情时期中俄关系崭新篇章。

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Related

“Spezifische Vorschlage”, JR’s Ostblog, Jan 22, 2022
“Based on Putin-Xi consensus”, TASS, Dec 17, 2021
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