RE: Wonder if...............4 Jun 2022 23:15
Russia 'frustrated' by China's refusal to offer more support
An interesting report has surfaced overnight that suggests Russian officials have been growing "increasingly frustrated" with China's apparent refusal to provide more support.
While Beijing continues to back Russia publicly and has repeatedly referred to western sanctions as illegal, The Washington post quotes a Chinese official as describing recent discussions between the two countries as "tense".
According to the report, China is attempting to maintain its strong relations with Russia while avoiding also being targeted by sanctions - goals described by US officials as "contradictory" and "hard to fulfill".
"That has been difficult," a senior US official told the newspaper.
"And it is insufficient from the Russian standpoint."
A source in Beijing with direct knowledge of the discussions, meanwhile, offered an indication that President Xi Jinping's administration was not willing to provide unlimited assistance to Moscow following the invasion of Ukraine.
“China has made clear its position on the situation in Ukraine, and on the illegal sanctions against Russia," they said.
"We understand [Moscow's] predicament. But we cannot ignore our own situation in this dialogue. China will always act in the best interest of the Chinese people."
It comes days after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US had not seen a "systematic effort" by China to help Russia evade sanctions - nor any significant military support from China to Russia.
It comes days after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US had not seen a "systematic effort" by China to help Russia evade sanctions - nor any significant military support from China to Russia.
Given the importance to Russia of its strategic relationship with China, any suggestion of constraints on Beijing's backing for Moscow will inevitably be the source of some concern in the Kremlin.
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