Putin will come to China's aid if it goes to war over Taiwan, leading Russian senator vows - but Moscow will expect support for the Kremlin's war in U

[beijingwalker]

Putin will come to China's aid if it goes to war over Taiwan, leading Russian senator vows - but Moscow will expect support for the Kremlin's war in Ukraine​

• Vladimir Dzhabarov, 69, said: 'I see no grounds to refuse to help China (in war)'
• 'But I would like to see a two-way movement with China,' the lawmaker added
• Putin and China's president Xi Jinping have fostered close ties in recent years
• But China has not yet openly declared support for Putin's incursion into Ukraine
• It comes amid escalating tensions between China and Taiwan after US house speaker Nancy Pelosi made an unannounced visit to the self-governing island
• China this week is holding large-scale live fire drills, infringing Taiwanese waters

By DAVID AVERRE and WILL STEWART FOR MAILONLINE

PUBLISHED: 13:08 BST, 3 August 2022 | UPDATED: 13:16 BST, 3 August 2022

A leading Russian senator has vowed that Vladimir Putin will come to China's aid if it goes to war over Taiwan.

But Vladimir Dzhabarov, the first deputy chairman of the international committee in Russia's Federation Council, said the Kremlin's backing would be offered on the understanding that Beijing would show support in kind for the war in Ukraine.

'I see no grounds to refuse to help China,' the politician declared.

'But I would like to see a two-way movement with China.

'It means that we should have some benefits from this cooperation.'

Putin and China's president Xi Jinping have seemingly fostered close ties in recent years, but there is concern in Moscow that Beijing has thus far declined to openly support the Kremlin's 'special military operation' launched on February 24.

It comes amid escalating tensions between China and Taiwan after US house speaker Nancy Pelosi made an unannounced diplomatic visit to the self-governing island nation which Beijing claims as its own.

Close Putin ally Dzhabarov made it clear that Russia is ready to back China in any conflict over disputed island Taiwan - a move which would consolidate its anti-Western alliance.

'I am convinced that in this case China hopes for a certain assistance from Russia... because it will be difficult for China to confront the United States without Russia's support,' he said.

'Sometimes it is a game of chance and a conflict may grow into a big war.

'But I think that China is behaving very cautiously in this sense, in a very restrained manner, while continuing to build up its defence potential,' Dzhabarov concluded.

The 69-year-old Russian lawmaker and former FSB officer was in 2018 awarded the prestigious Alexander Nevsky order 'for services in strengthening Russian statehood', thanks to a presidential decree from Putin.

Dzhabarov made his claim as China strongly condemned Pelosi's visit to Taiwan and launched a massive military exercise that will see air and maritime traffic cut off due to extensive live-fire drills which infringe on Taiwanese waters.

China's foreign minister, Wang Yi, branded the speaker's trip a 'complete farce' and repeated the much-used phrase by Chinese diplomacy that 'those who play with fire will perish by it.'

Last week, Chinese Premier Xi Jinping used the same expression in a phone call to US President Joe Biden.

Early on Wednesday, the Chinese foreign ministry slammed Pelosi for 'brazenly' going ahead with the trip that was still unconfirmed as late as Monday, claiming it 'maliciously infringes on China's sovereignty and blatantly engages in political provocations.'

'It proves once again that some US politicians have become 'troublemakers' of China-US relations,' the statement said.

China's Taiwan Affairs Office weighed in, threatening 'criminal punishment measures' targeted at 'die hard' Taiwanese supporters of independence.

Beijing's military exercises meanwhile kicked off Tuesday with live-fire drills in and around the Taiwan strait set to continue until Sunday.

The large-scale drills are taking place in six locations around the country - three of which cross into its territorial waters in what Taipei today called a serious breach of international norms.

Shipping and air traffic will also be closed in those areas in what amounts to a blockade, as experts say Beijing is rehearsing its ability to cut the island off from the outside world in the event of a war.

In a short speech during a meeting with Taiwan's president Tsai Ing-wen this week, Pelosi said: 'Today the world faces a choice between democracy and autocracy.

'America's determination to preserve democracy, here in Taiwan and around the world, remains ironclad.'

Ms Ing-wen added that the island of 23 million would not be cowed.

'Facing deliberately heightened military threats, Taiwan will not back down. We will... continue to hold the line of defence for democracy,' Tsai said.

She also thanked the 82-year-old US lawmaker for 'taking concrete actions to show your staunch support for Taiwan at this critical moment'.

Russia will back China if it goes to war over Taiwan, says senator

Vladimir Dzhabarov, a Russian MP and former FSB officer, said the Kremlin's backing would be offered on the understanding that Beijing would show support in kind for the war in Ukraine

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[beijingwalker]

Russia backs Beijing on Nancy Pelosi’s Taiwan visit, drawing the two countries closer together on issues like Ukraine​

BYNICHOLAS GORDON
August 3, 2022, 6:10 PM GMT+8

Russia is backing China's position over Taiwan as U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi traveled to the self-governed island on Tuesday and Wednesday.
OLGA MALTSEVA—AFP/GETTY IMAGES

The Chinese government has at least one firm supporter in its escalating conflict with the United States over U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan: Russia.

“Everything about this tour and the possible visit to Taiwan is purely provocative,” said Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov to reporters on Tuesday, before Pelosi arrived in the self-governed island.

Maria Zakharova, Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman, used even stronger language, calling the U.S. a “state provocateur” and stating that Russia “confirms the principle of ‘one China’ and opposes the independence of the island in any form.” (“One China” refers to the position that mainland China and Taiwan are not two separate countries, but instead two governments in disagreement over who truly represents China.)

On Wednesday, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov called Pelosi’s visit “an annoyance almost out of the blue.”

Russia’s support of Beijing on Pelosi’s Taiwan visit establishes another pillar of the two countries’ budding alliance and could motivate Beijing to more forcefully back Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“China’s government deeply values international diplomatic support from other governments regarding the Taiwan issue. Support from Russia and other states will be especially appreciated,” says Austin Strange, assistant professor of international relations at the University of Hong Kong. By supporting Beijing’s position on Taiwan, governments like Russia could “incentivize China’s government to offer more firm support for these states’ own interests,” Strange says.

Taiwan and Ukraine parallels​

Mainland Chinese officials have drawn parallels between the war in Ukraine and tensions over Taiwan. During a U.N. Security Council meeting last Friday, China’s ambassador to the U.N. argued that “while some country has repeatedly emphasized the principle of sovereignty over the issue of Ukraine, it has incessantly challenged the sovereignty of China over Taiwan.”


Beijing argues that any government’s attempt to deepen relations with Taiwan is interference in China’s internal affairs; it vehemently protests visits to the island by sitting U.S. officials and politicians like Pelosi. Beijing has blocked efforts to treat Taiwan as a separate political entity, including barring the territory from taking part in international organizations like the World Health Organization and boycotting countries, like Lithuania, that have allowed Taiwan to open local representative offices.

Officially Washington acknowledges, but does not endorse, Beijing’s position that Taiwan is an integral part of China, and says the U.S. is obliged by law to help the island defend itself. Taiwan’s ruling government believes it has the authority to conduct economic and diplomatic relations with other countries, but has not formally endorsed the idea that it is a separate country from mainland China.

Beijing announced several retaliatory measures against Taiwan for Pelosi’s visit on Tuesday and Wednesday, including live-fire exercises off Taiwan’s coast, import bans of Taiwanese food products, and an export ban of natural sand (used in construction) to the island. Hackers also hit Taiwanese government websites with a distributed-denial-of-service attack, briefly taking them offline.

China and Russia​

China is one of the few countries that has not condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Beijing has criticized the West’s use of sanctions against Moscow, arguing the measures make it more difficult to solve diplomatic issues. State media has promoted messages that blame the U.S. and NATO for sparking the conflict and has echoed Russia in calling the war a “military operation.”


“Emotionally, China is side by side with Russia,” says Alfred Wu, a professor of Chinese politics at the National University of Singapore. “You can see the propaganda discourse is very similar to Russia,” leading to “de facto support” for Moscow, Wu continues. Those close links are echoed by the top leadership in each country, with Chinese President Xi Jinping declaring that the friendship between China and Russia had “no limits” in February during the Beijing Winter Olympics—just a few weeks before Moscow launched its invasion.

China is also a large buyer of Russian oil, providing a lifeline to Moscow as Western sanctions dry up other channels for funds. However, it’s difficult to parse whether China’s oil purchases are a sign of support or an instance of bargain hunting. Russian oil is cheap now, and other Asian countries like India have snapped it up too.

Despite Beijing’s tacit support of Russia, several Chinese companies have scaled back their presence in Russia over worries that they could run afoul of Western sanctions and lose access to the global financial system due. In late March, Beijing reportedly advised its large state-owned petrochemical companies to be wary of expanding projects in Russia due to sanctions risk.

The U.S. has publicly called on Beijing to do more to constrain Russia. In July, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said she mentioned the possibility of China joining a proposed price cap on Russian oil during a virtual meeting with Chinese vice premier Liu He. At the time, Yellen said Chinese officials were open to the idea. China later called the measure “very complicated.”

In practice, Washington realizes it can’t “rely on China to contain Russia,” says Wu, and is opting instead to draw “lines” that Beijing shouldn’t cross.

Nancy Pelosi Taiwan visit could draw Russia and China closer on Ukraine

The Russia-China alliance was already budding over Ukraine; it's strengthening again over Taiwan.

fortune.com

 

[casual]

China will never attack Ukraine.

 

[MH.Yang]

The Russians only need to help us when the nuclear war breaks out and guarantee the supply of minerals and oil. We can accomplish other things by ourselves.

 

[Beast]

China will never attack Ukraine.

China can supply UCAV for Russian army to wipe out Ukraine Nazi or provide real time spy satellite data to better support their artillery bombing. It just whether Russian want to take it or not.

 

[gambit]

The VKS was shiddy over Ukraine. The Russian Navy lost ships against a country that does not have a navy. And a war against Taiwan will be at sea. So yeah, do take this claim seriously...

 

[casual]

China can supply UCAV for Russian army to wipe out Ukraine Nazi or provide real time spy satellite data to better support their artillery bombing. It just whether Russian want to take it or not.

That depends on the behavior of Ukraine and European leaders. If they go against China on Taiwan, China will support Russia against them.