Thinking about the China factor in the stand-off with #Russia over #Ukraine -- #China Boss #update 1.28.2022
Update
What happened this month.
U.S. Pacific Fleet’s twitter bomb: “USS Nevada makes surprise port call in Guam.”
Earlier this month, "the U.S. Pacific Fleet tweeted that the Ohio-class nuclear-powered submarine, thought to be carrying 20 Trident ballistic missiles, had arrived in Guam, which Nikkei Asia staff described as “an extremely rare public announcement of an SSBN location,” designed to send a clear “message to China not to take any action in the Taiwan Strait, reminding Beijing that the U.S. has not taken its eye off the region despite ongoing tensions in Ukraine.”
China and U.S. spoke by phone.
In a phone call at the U.S.’ request on Thursday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed Russia's military build-up on Ukraine's borders. According to DW, Wang said China “call[s]on all parties to stay calm and refrain from doing things that agitate tensions and hype up the crisis,” while “Blinken was said to have stressed the need for Russia to deescalate, while warning of severe security and economic challenges should Russia launch a larger invasion of some kind on Ukraine's territory.”
Per Wang’s press statement, MOFA:
Wang Yi said, to solve the Ukrainian issue, it is still necessary to return to the new Minsk agreement. The new Minsk agreement, endorsed by the UN Security Council, is a basic political document recognized by all parties and should be implemented earnestly. China will support any effort that conforms to the direction and spirit of this agreement. At the same time, we call on all parties to remain calm and refrain from inflaming tensions or hyping up the crisis.
Wang Yi stressed, the security of one country should not be at the expense of the security of others, and regional security should not be guaranteed by strengthening or even expanding military blocs. Today in the 21st century, all parties should completely abandon the Cold War mentality, and form a balanced, effective and sustainable European security mechanism through negotiations, with Russia's legitimate security concerns being taken seriously and addressed.
Secretary Blinken’s press statement, Dept. of State:
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with PRC State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Secretary Blinken underscored the global security and economic risks posed by further Russian aggression against Ukraine and conveyed that de-escalation and diplomacy are the responsible way forward. The Secretary and Councilor Wang also exchanged views on how to advance work together following President Biden’s virtual meeting with President Xi on November 15, 2021, including on managing strategic risk, health security, and climate change.
Why it matters.
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