Here is a deeper look at where China is at this stage of the conflict:


IS CHINA SERIOUS FOR THE INVESTIGATION OF VIOLENCE? 
In a statement issued Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian referred to reports of atrocities in the city of Bucha, saying: “The truth and the cause of the incident must be verified.”  He said all parties should show restraint and avoid “baseless allegations before the investigation is completed”.
The crucial thing is that Zao did not mention the Russian forces and did not give any indication as to how evidence should be gathered or by whom.
China has a long history of providing political coverage to its friends following incidents such as the sinking of a South Korean navy ship in 2010. China has called it “unfortunate” but has refused to accept responsibility for North Korea.
Beijing also regularly accuses war crimes offenders, especially the United States, of invading Iraq and incidents such as the NATO bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, in 1999. China has never accepted NATO’s claim. attack was unintentional.


WHERE IS CHINA STANDING IN THE INVASION OF RUSSIA? 
Beijing pledged early on that Russia was provoked by the US-led invasion of NATO’s eastward expansion, although Russian President Vladimir Putin did not cite this as his main motive for the invasion.
China has abstained from voting in the United Nations condemning Russia’s actions and, according to standard policy, has strongly opposed economic sanctions against Russia.
At the same time, China is showing no signs of undermining these sanctions or rushing to fill the gap left by the withdrawal of Western companies from Russia.
Beijing has recently focused its messages on calls for talks leading to a ceasefire and the avoidance of major humanitarian catastrophe.  It also provided humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and kept the line open to Ukrainian officials.  Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his counterpart Dmytro Kuleba on Monday that China “does not have the mentality to watch the fire from a safe distance, let alone do anything that adds fuel to the fire.”


WHAT IS BEHIND CHINA’S SUPPORT IN RUSSIA? 
China and Russia have become increasingly close under Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, aligning their foreign policies with those of the Western liberal world order.
China has generally followed Russia’s lead in the UN vote and has helped halt efforts to blame it for its military intervention in Syria.  Together, the countries represent two of the five veto-wielding permanent seats on the UN Security Council, forming a bloc that could effectively thwart Washington’s initiatives.
The two are also closely linked economically, with China becoming Russia’s largest trading partner and a major export market for its gas and oil.
A few weeks before the start of the war, Xi and Putin met in Beijing and issued a joint statement describing their relationship as “without limits.”  To criticize Putin, he would tacitly criticize Xi, something China does not tolerate.


WHAT ARE THE RISKS AND THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS? 
By claiming to be an impartial observer, China has earned Moscow’s gratitude and largely protected itself from commitments to take action against Russia.  Beijing also points to the refusal of other countries, including India and Brazil, to condemn Moscow as proof that it is not alone.
Beijing does not want to see the end of Putin’s regime, but could benefit from the fact that a weakened Russia will become an even smaller partner in the relationship.  This could give Beijing a stronger hand in acquiring Russian energy resources and state-of-the-art military technology.
At present, the risks are minimal.  Beijing has long been accustomed to accusing or committing human rights abuses and has become adept at ignoring or disproving them using its economic and political influence.
As its largest city, Shanghai, faces one of the country’s biggest cases since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and with a key Communist Party conference later this year, China is on alert for anything that could threaten it. domestic stability.


HOW DOES CHINA KEEP THE PUBLIC AT ITS SIDE? 
Beijing-controlled media in the Communist Party have reported on the killing of civilians in Bhutan, but their coverage has a strong pro-Russian leaning.  The media has also fueled Russian misinformation, particularly dispelling allegations that the United States and Ukraine are cooperating in the production of biological weapons.
Beijing has sent instructions to teachers on how to “correctly” explain the conflict to students, with the US cast as the “main culprit”.
It also reinforces the official narrative with the release of a documentary before the February 24 invasion that denounces the fall of Russia’s former communist system.  The “historic nihilism and the collapse of the Soviet Union” accuses Putin and Joseph Stalin, while accusing reformers such as Nikita Khrushchev and Mikhail Gorbachev of helping the United States and its allies weaken the system from within.
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