Good morning, 

as soon as the war in Ukraine broke out, one exigent question emerged:  will China take Russia’s side and support it at all costs? 

To answer this question, Institut Montaigne publishes today a special edition of China Trends, titled Ukraine: China’s “Rock-Solid” Pro-Russia Narrative. It provides an overview of the discussion about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine inside China. At the same time, it also highlights some of the nuances and reservations towards Russia. However, these pronouncements do not change the big picture of a very pro-Russian stance. Can China’s future foreign policy choices diverge from these views? China is still hedging and plays a long game. And, Europe, where the struggle is taking place, is seen as a loser.
 

“China clings to ambiguity.This is a holding position designed to avoid being harmed by any outcome in Ukraine. We should judge China by its deeds, rather than by its words. ” - explains François Godement and Viviana Zhu, authors of this issue.

Wishing you a stimulating read, we do hope this issue of China Trends will provide useful insights for your work. We would be happy to organize an interview with one of the authors if you wish.

Best regards, 

Emma