China warns EU that Russia cannot afford to lose war against Ukraine

During a meeting with EU High Representative Kaja Kallas, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi stated that Beijing cannot allow Russia to lose the war against Ukraine.

This frankness surprised some European participants in the meeting, as publicly, Beijing insists it is not a party to the conflict. In reality, it appears that China fears that if Moscow loses, the US will focus all its efforts against China.

At the same time, the Chinese side rejects any accusations that Beijing is helping Moscow. According to the diplomat, if that were true, this conflict would have ended a long time ago.

The talks between Wang Yi and Kaja Kallas lasted about four hours.

During the meeting, the Chinese minister gave a few lessons in history and realpolitik to his European counterpart, emphasizing Beijing's strategic view: the war on Ukrainian territory diverts the US's attention and prevents it from fully focusing on confrontation with China.

In Brussels, some diplomats interpret these statements as follows: although China did not seek the war in Ukraine, its prolongation may align with Beijing’s strategic interests as long as the US remains engaged in the European direction.

Additionally, according to sources, Wang Yi warned the EU that Beijing is prepared to respond to sanctions. This concerns the EU’s plans to blacklist two Chinese banks for violating the sanctions regime against Russia. If this happens, China has threatened retaliatory measures.

The dialogue, according to sources, was tense but remained within the bounds of mutual respect. Wang Yi even hinted that the planned EU-China summit in July might be shortened if Brussels does not reconsider its position.

Recently, Moscow’s economic dependence on Beijing has become more apparent, with Russia sharply increasing metal exports to China.