China-Ukraine: Where does China stand on Ukraine and will China join Russia in war?

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was sparked by Ukraine moving closer to NATO, the Western military alliance.

With Russia standing in opposition to Western powers in this, does it have any allies of its own to count on?

Russia and China have a long history of close ties with one another, but where does China stand on the invasion of Ukraine?

A man holds a placard reading "Russian Soldiers Leave Ukraine" as demonstrators protest against Russia's invasion of Ukraine in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. Photo:JOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP via Getty Images.

Here’s what we know so far.

Where is China saying about Russia and Ukraine?

Unlike other world powers like the UK and the United States, China has not yet openly criticised Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but neither has it supported it.

A Ukrainian military vehicle drives in central Kyiv on February 24, 2022. Air raid sirens rang out in downtown Kyiv today as cities across Ukraine were hit with what Ukrainian officials said were Russian missile strikes and artillery. Photo: Daniel LEAL / AFP.

Indeed, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi did state that every country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity “should be respected and safeguarded” and that “Ukraine is no exception”.

Wang went on to say that “China is concerned about the evolution of the situation in Ukraine”.

China is staying relatively balanced between the West and Russia, having not recognised Russia’s previous annexation of Crimea.

Is China an ally of Russia?

It’s not a straightforward question to answer, but Russian President Vladimir Putin did meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing earlier this month.

The two countries have supported each other when opposing an expansion of NATO into former Soviet union nations, which is what sparked the current conflict in Ukraine in the first place.

China and Russia are therefore united against Western powers, especially the United States, and NATO, but this allyship is not unconditional or constant.

The two countries have a long history of working together, particularly when opportunities arise to oppose the United States.

Will China join Russia in war?

Although China has strong ties to Russia, there are also important ties to Ukraine to consider.

For example, Ukraine’s top trade partner is China and buys a great deal of military hardware.

In addition, Ukraine has been an important part of China’s Belt and Road program, seeking to build a modern version of the ‘silk road’ that once linked east Asia and Europe.

Nonetheless, China did join Russia in opposing “further enlargement of NATO” and calling “on the North Atlantic Alliance to abandon its ideologised cold war approaches” in a joint statement on February 4th.

At the Munich Security Conference over the weekend, Wang stated:

"NATO was a product of the Cold War era and now we need to look at the current situation, and there needs to be an adaption.

"If there is a persistent eastward expansion, will that really guarantee peace in Europe, will that truly lead to lasting peace and stability in Europe?

"I believe this is a question that our friends in Europe need to have serious consideration about.”

This suggests that China agrees with Russia’s stance on NATO, but not necessarily that China will go to war over the point.

With no clear statement condemning or supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it’s difficult to speculate what China will do next.

China invading Taiwan

It’s believed that China will be watching the West’s response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine closely to offer insight into how other powers would respond if China moved into Taiwan.

Similar to how Russia built up military troops and equipment in the borders with Ukraine before invading, China has also been dispatching military aircraft and holding war games in the hopes of intimidating Taiwan.

Because the US provides Taiwan with arms and military equipment, the country has a legal obligation to consider threats to the island as a “grave concern”, although that doesn’t require military intervention.