Xi Jinping stressed the promotion the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)

What place does the Russian war against Ukraine occupy in promoting China’s international initiative “One Belt, One Road” (BRI)?

According to Xinhua News Agency Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday stressed the comprehensive promotion of high-quality cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI),.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks when addressing the fourth symposium on Belt and Road construction work.

It is imperative to strengthen strategic confidence, maintain strategic focus and act courageously with a sense of responsibility to create a brighter future for Belt and Road cooperation, Xi said.

Since the initiative was put forth in 2013, major achievements have been made in Belt and Road cooperation, which contributed to enhancing China’s friendship with participating countries and promoting their economic and social development, Xi said.

Noting that the world has entered a new period of turbulence and change in recent years, he urged efforts to appropriately manage all types of risks and challenges and effectively address the impact of geopolitical conflicts while advancing high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.

It is necessary to properly handle the relationship between strengthening participating countries’ sense of fulfillment and ensuring the benefits for China, Xi said, calling for concrete measures to safeguard China’s overseas interests.

So far, China has signed BRI cooperation documents with over 150 countries and over 30 international organizations.

Data from the Ministry of Commerce showed that by the end of 2023, Chinese companies had established 17,000 overseas enterprises in countries participating in the BRI, with direct investment stock exceeding $330 billion, while the overseas economic and trade cooperation zones built under the initiative had created 530,000 local jobs.

Xi has attended previous editions of the symposium, held in 2016, 2018 and 2021 respectively.

During Monday’s symposium, Xi pointed out that the Belt and Road cooperation has entered a new period of high-quality development.

He stressed adhering to the principle of “planning together, building together and benefiting together,” the philosophy of open, green and clean cooperation, and the goal of pursuing high-standard, people-centered and sustainable cooperation.

Focusing on enhancing connectivity, efforts should be made to continuously create new space for win-win development at a higher level and with greater resilience and sustainability, Xi said.

He emphasized the need to strengthen the mechanisms for high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and improve the planning, coordination and management mechanisms.

Xi called for perseverance to turn blueprints into reality and courage to overcome all kinds of risks and challenges in unswervingly advancing high-quality Belt and Road cooperation to make greater contributions to the development of a human community with a shared future.

So, what place does Russia’s war against Ukraine and the Euro-Atlantic community occupy in promoting China’s international Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)?

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Kuleba paid an official visit to China

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba paid an official visit to China, where he held meetings with representatives of the Chinese government, including the special representative of the Chinese government for Eurasian affairs Li Hui and deputy head of the international department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China Chen Zhou. During the meetings, issues of bilateral cooperation, compliance with international law and the situation in Ukraine​ (DW)​​​ (Ukrinform)​ were discussed.

The main topic of discussion was support for the “Peace Formula” of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi, which includes the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Ukrainian side expressed hope that China can make a practical contribution to achieving a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, in particular through participation in the Global Peace Summit being prepared in Switzerland (Ukrinform).

This visit became an important step in strengthening bilateral relations between Ukraine and China, contributing to the deepening of political dialogue and cooperation in the international arena (Ukrinform) (Channel 24).

Why Chinese experts are concerned about Japan’s financing of Ukraine

 December 13, 2023.  BEIJING – Chinese experts have expressed concern over Japan’s new support plan for Ukraine, arguing that it reflects Japan’s increasingly aggressive military buildup and desire for a greater role on the international stage.

However, China, not Japan, has been supporting Russia’s war against Ukraine since 2013.

During an online meeting of G7 leaders last week, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pledged $4.5 billion to Ukraine, including $1 billion in humanitarian aid.

Additionally, the country is considering easing weapons export restrictions to allow for the provision of equipment co-developed with other nations to Ukraine.

Chinese experts said Kishida’s financial support falls short of Ukraine’s actual needs, with an estimated $411 billion required for the country’s rebuilding and recovery efforts over the next 10 years.

However, they believe Japan’s primary intention is not to solely provide comprehensive aid but rather to display its commitment as “a responsible G7 member” and strengthen its military capabilities.

Japan is working to adjust its military policy and moving away from its postwar “exclusively defense-oriented policy”

As the defense paper states, Japan plans to allocate 43.5 trillion yen ($322.2 billion) to military spending over the next five years, a significant increase compared to the 17.2 trillion yen spent from 2019 to 2023.

While Tokyo claims its focus is on self-defense, its military spending already ranks as the third-largest in the world, with per capita military spending higher than that of China.

Military buildup criticized

Xu Poling, the director of the Department of Russian Economy at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences’ Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies, criticized Japan’s recent attempts at military buildup.

“By providing financial aid to Ukraine, Kishida aims at highlighting his commitments to his Western allies, especially the US, and gaining their support in advancing Japan’s military strength,” Xu said.

It has been actively pursuing its military goals since Kishida took office, including amending its Constitution and strengthening ties with NATO and other Western countries, he said.

Since the outbreak of the Ukraine conflict, Japan and NATO have conducted frequent interactions, Xu said.

Xu highlighted that Japan has been embracing NATO’s advances in the Asia-Pacific region and NATO also plans to open an office in Japan.

China and Russiashould stop stoking bloc confrontation and destroying peace and stability, and the international community must be aware of China’s true intention of expansion

Used articles:

Chinese experts raise concerns over Japan fund for Ukraine, https://www.ukrchina.biz/

Experts in China raise concerns over Japan fund for Ukraine (Liu Jianqiao – China Daily), https://news.sky.com/

Representational image. PHOTO: CHINA DAILY :

Representational image. PHOTO: CHINA DAILY