Over the last twelve months the West has tried to persuade the Chinese government to lend its assistance to finding a solution to the war in Ukraine. Those attempts have yielded zero tangible results. Now China is moving on its own to present itself as a peacemaker as well as to send a firm message to the West and specifically to the United States.
China’s position paper outlined a 12 point peace plan calls for an immediate ceasefire to be followed by renewed efforts to end the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy. The plan is made up of the following points: Respecting the sovereignty of all countries; Abandoning the Cold War mentality; Ceasing hostilities; Resuming peace talks; Resolving the humanitarian crisis; Protecting civilians and prisoners of war; Keeping nuclear power plants safe; Reducing strategic risks; Facilitating grain exports; Stopping unilateral sanctions; Keeping industrial and supply chains stable; Promoting post-conflict reconstruction.
The plan includes a number of Chinese talking points including a call for the West to move away from the ‘Cold War mentality.’ Naturally, the United States and her allies gave a cool response to the plan while Russia praised it. In the eyes of the West, China’s support for Russia discredits Beijing’s calls for a ceasefire and peace. Specific mention was made concerning China’s refusal to condemn Russia’s invasion or impose sanctions as punishment.
Judging from the contents of the position paper and the language used in it, China does not realistically expect to see its proposal be seriously considered by any of the involved parties. For that matter, peace in Ukraine is not a high priority national interest for the Chinese. But the continuing war does present an opportunity for Beijing to present itself as sincerely pushing for a peaceful conclusion to the Russia-Ukraine war, as well a world power opposed to destructive power bloc politics reminiscent of the Cold War years. An audience exists that will find this message appealing, and its clear that the Chinese 12 point peace plan was directed at least partly at these countries and governments.
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It’s essentially the same game the Red Chinese have been playing since the Sino-Soviet split, one that requires a certain ignorance of their power plays and ambitions.
Yeah, we’ve seen this before haven’t we?