The Official Position of the People's Republic of China Regarding the Nature of Relations with the Russian Federation in the Context of the “Special Military Operation” (SMO)

Against the backdrop of unfolding dramatic events related to the "Ukrainian crisis," significant attention has been drawn to various aspects of China's policy. This article attempts to delve into the basic elements of the Chinese leadership's strategy using reliable sources from December 2021 to March 2023. This period encompassed the preparation and execution of Russian President V.V. Putin's visit to China in February 2022 and Chinese President Xi Jinping's reciprocal visit to Moscow in March 2023. Chinese accounts of events are compared with official materials on the portals of the Russian President, Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as the portals of heads of states and foreign ministries of other countries. It can be stated that throughout this period, topics related to the "Ukrainian crisis" were at the center of attention in Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs briefings, although the focus on this issue somewhat diminished over time. Despite the emergence since April 2022 of increasingly noticeable "pauses" related to Ukraine-related questions, overall, this theme garnered the most attention concerning Beijing's foreign policy activities during the specified period. The article explores how the leadership of China defines its relations with the Russian Federation in the contemporary stage and how this influences China's policy regarding the Ukrainian conflict.

Russian-Chinese relations, relations of a new type, Ukrainian crisis, special military operation