CHINA-UKRAINE-TAIWAN kyiv looks at Taipei and infuriates Beijing

The Chinese embassy in Ukraine wanted to prevent the creation of a group in the kyiv parliament, whose purpose is to strengthen friendly ties with Taiwan. Its promoter denounces the “Soviet” methods of Beijing, which refused to help Ukrainian civilians when the conflict broke out. Widespread Taiwanese support for the Ukrainian cause

Beijing () – Ukraine is increasingly looking at Taiwan, which infuriates China, since it considers the island a “rogue” province. Oleksandr Merezhko, head of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Ukrainian Parliament, revealed that the Chinese embassy in kyiv pressured him to stop the creation of a parliamentary group dedicated to closer friendship with Taipei.

In statements to Focus TaiwanMerezhko said that Beijing used “Soviet” methods to block his initiative, which was welcomed by many deputies from different parties. The group now has 10 members from the majority and five from the opposition. Many European countries have parliamentary contact groups with Taiwan. Among them, the Baltic countries are the most active, apart from the representation of the EU Parliament.

The Ukrainian politician reveals that he refused to meet with the Chinese ambassador Fan Xianrong. In the first place, because when requesting the meeting, the Chinese diplomat did not respect the protocol; second, because in March, at the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Chinese envoy refused to receive a delegation from the Ukrainian parliament. Parliamentarians in kyiv called for Xi Jinping’s help to open humanitarian corridors and evacuate civilians fleeing bombing from Moscow.

Putin’s setbacks in Ukraine – where troops from kyiv continue to retake parts of territory previously occupied by the Russians – could spark a crisis in China. Xi bets on a strong Russian partner (smaller than China) to weaken US influence in the world; However, Moscow does not show that it has the political-economic strength and stability to compete in a clash of powers.

Losing Ukraine would not be a minor detail for Beijing: the Ukrainian space is key to connecting China and Europe with the “New Silk Roads”, Xi Jinping’s commercial and infrastructure megaproject known as the Belt and Road Initiative.

China’s ill-disguised support for Russia’s war enterprise has fueled anti-Chinese sentiment in Ukraine. According to the kyiv authorities, considering the positions taken by China, the “strategic partnership” with Beijing exists only on paper. With Taiwan, the opposite is the case: the island has openly supported the Ukrainian cause, even providing humanitarian aid. With its pro-Kremlin stance, the Chinese giant could lose the opportunity to contribute to the future reconstruction of Ukraine.

On September 15 and 16, Xi to attend Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Uzbekistan, which will also be attended by Vladimir Putin. The “no limits” partnership announced in February between Moscow and Beijing, on the eve of Russian aggression in Ukraine, appears to be giving China more headaches than benefits.