Xi Jinping Wants Ukraine War To End But Not 'At The Expense Of Russia Being Wiped Out By The West,' Says China Expert

An expert on China said President Xi Jinping wants the Ukraine war to end, but not at the expense of its ally Russia being cornered by the West. 

What Happened: Yun Sun, director of the China program at the Washington-based Stimson Centre, told SCMP that Beijing wants Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine to end but is also mindful of its own interests. 

Sun said Xi would engage Putin closely and manage ties with Moscow carefully amid intense scrutiny a year into the Ukraine war.

"It will not deepen the ties to Russian satisfaction, nor will it cut ties to Western satisfaction," she said, adding, "that is the path that serves China's interests the best."

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"The war will not last forever. China does want the war to end soon, but Beijing will not let it happen at the expense of Russia being wiped out by the West."

The Chinese government has repeatedly sought to position itself as neutral in the war while at the same time has been deepening ties with Putin's administration. Last month, Xi rebuffed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's request for talks, saying Beijing "would continue to play a constructive role in its own way in the peaceful resolution of the Ukraine crisis."

On Tuesday, China's Foreign Minister Qin Gang said the country is “deeply worried” about the Ukraine conflict escalation and the possibility of the situation spiraling out of control.  

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