Beijing scared by events in the Ukraine
Beijing (AsiaNews) - After a period of cold neutrality, China has come out against the West and Ukraine's new course. Implicitly, Beijing has decided to back Russia, but above all, it wants to protect its own economic and strategic interests in the region.
An editorial published yesterday in the People's Daily, the Chinese Communist Party's main mouthpiece, accused the West of being shackled by an outdated "Cold War mentality".
The United States and Europe are in fact involved in a tug-of-war with Russia to bring the Ukraine within its own sphere of influence. The facts are clear.
On the one hand, we have former President Viktor Yanukovych's flight; his indictment for mass murder; the establishment of a transitional government under Arseniy Yatsenyuk, who was welcomed by the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people in Independence (Maidan) Square; and early talks with the International Monetary Fund and the European Union.
On the other, we have Russia's threats to defend ethnic Russians in the Crimea; Moscow's decision to hold military exercises on its border with the Ukraine; and Russian media's broad support for Yanukovych's position. After resurfacing, the ousted president has indicated his refusal to accept the new government in Kiev, which was approved today by the Ukrainian parliament.
Tensions are especially high in Crimea, where ethnic Russians are a majority, and many have dual nationality. Here yesterday, pro-Russian and pro-European Muslim Tatars clashed. Today, an armed group seized Crimea's regional parliament in Simferopol, hoisting a Russian flag.
Although there are some pockets of resistance, most people seem to have made their choice.
Ukraine's new leaders are afraid that Russia might use its national minorities to divide the country. Hence, they have tried to engage their leaders in talks.
For Russia, the Crimean peninsula is especially important because it is home to Russuia's Black Sea Fleet.
After preaching "non-interference" in the affairs of other nations, Beijing is now opposed to the West. Beijing in fact is now suing the Ukraine for breach of US$ 3billion loan-for-grain agreement, lodging a case against Ukraine at the London Court of International Arbitration, a step that might push the East European country into bankruptcy.
Some analysts wonder why Beijing is being unfriendly towards Kiev. Although its friendship with Moscow is strong because of oil imports from Russia, there are other political and economic factors as well.
China's rulers are afraid that ordinary Chinese might take their cue from Ukrainians and try to topple their own government.
For several months now, Chinese President Xi Jinping has warned the party that the People's Republic might "end up" like the former USSR.
Blogs and online articles have appeared hailing the victims of the "Ukrainian Tiananmen" and the people of Ukraine for getting rid of a corrupt president.
Although China's web watchdog began censoring articles and pictures, someone posted a picture showing banners (pictured) that appeared in Shandong province, saying, "The Ukrainians are free, how long will we Chinese have to wait?"
Likewise, the 2008 Sakharov Prize laureate, Hu Jia, used twitter to ask his fellow Chinese to follow Ukraine's example against a government not wanted by the people.
Beijing also has economic reasons to fret about what is happening in the Ukraine. In December, Yanukovych secured US$ 8 billion in Chinese investments for his country.
The two sides also agreed to build a new modern deep-water port in Saki and rebuild Sebastopol's sea fishing port, both of which are in the Crimea. Now both deals could be placed on the backburner.
For China, if the Ukraine joins the EU, it might have to drop its arms trade with China to conform to the EU embargo.
Ukraine, the fourth-largest arms exporter, has played a key role in engine production, and the maintenance of China's fighter jets and other aircraft.
China's first aircraft carrier, Liaoning, was also built in the Ukraine.
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24/07/2021 14:33
17/03/2021 14:27
