Events surrounding the first year anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine have had a cold war-esque feel, with America and its allies lined up on one side and China and Russia on the other. Some politicians in Washington – and perhaps Beijing – seem comfortable with this. But they should be careful. There’s no reason to believe a cold war re-run in the 21st century would turn out well for anyone, above all the US. This past week, President Biden paid a dramatic visit to Kyiv and then addressed…
Tag: US foreign policy
Capitol Hill finds rare bipartisan cause in China – but it could pose problems
In the weeks since the US military shot down a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon, Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill have spoken passionately about the need to more effectively compete with Beijing. A resolution condemning China for the balloon incident passed the House in an unanimous vote of 419 to 0. Joe Biden has similarly expressed hope that efforts to strengthen America’s global competitiveness in response to a rising China can unite Democrats and Republicans in an era defined by bitter partisanship. “Today, we’re in the strongest position in decades…
Russia-Ukraine war live: China role as peacemaker ‘just not rational’, says Biden
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China calls for Ukraine peace talks as it steps up engagement in the conflict
China’s government has called for peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, while urging all parties to avoid nuclear escalation and end attacks on civilians, in a statement which appeared to maintain Beijing’s stance that the west is fuelling the conflict and was dismissed as anodyne by analysts. The 12-point position paper on Ukraine was released on Friday morning, on the one year anniversary of Russia’s invasion, and ahead of an expected speech by Xi Jinping. The paper, for which Ukraine was not consulted, was cautiously welcomed by Kyiv, but criticised…
Pentagon releases selfie of US pilot flying above Chinese spy balloon
The Pentagon has released a selfie photograph snapped by the pilot of an U2 spy plane that was hurtling through the skies above the Chinese spy balloon as the US military pursued and shot it down off the coast of South Carolina earlier this month. The image clearly shows the mysterious, silvery-white sphere of the balloon with panels dangling below it and, whether intended artistically or not, a striking sight of the shadow of the US aircraft cast against the balloon. The picture was snapped by the airman on the…
Biden promises Kyiv extra military aid as EU discusses ammunition
Joe Biden has promised further military aid for Ukraine worth $500m (£415m) during his unannounced visit to Kyiv, as EU foreign ministers met in Brussels to discuss ways to accelerate the provision of ammunition. The US president also said additional sanctions would be announced this week against Russia’s elite and companies trying to evade existing sanctions in order to “back the Russian war machine”. In a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Biden discussed the text of a resolution to be put to a vote at the UN on…
China may be on brink of supplying arms to Russia, says Blinken
The US has said it believes China may be about to provide lethal aid to help Russia in the war in Ukraine, prompting a direct warning against doing so from the secretary of state, Antony Blinken, to China’s top diplomat. Blinken made the warning to the Chinese state councillor Wang Yi on Saturday evening at a meeting on the sidelines of the Munich security conference during which he also rebuked China over the use of an alleged spy balloon over US soil. In a blunt meeting he also urged China…
Blinken meets with China’s top diplomat after US shoots down balloon
Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, met with China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, on Saturday in Munich in the first senior-level contact between the two countries since the American military shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina on 4 February. In a tweet on Saturday, Blinken said, “Just met with the PRC’s top diplomat, Wang Yi. I condemned the incursion of the PRC surveillance balloon and stressed it must never happen again.” Blinken continued: “I warned China against providing material support to Russia.…
Chinese peace plan for Ukraine greeted cautiously by the west
Western leaders have reacted nervously to a Chinese peace plan for Ukraine due to be revealed this week, but cautiously welcomed the move as a first sign that China recognises the war cannot be regarded solely as a European affair. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, China’s senior diplomat Wang Yi, one of the few external politicians able to influence Russia, announced that China would launch its peace initiative on the anniversary of the war, and has already been consulting Germany, Italy and France on its proposals. He said the…
Top Chinese diplomat calls US reaction to balloons ‘absurd’ – video
China’s most senior diplomat Wang Yi described the shooting down of a balloon by the US as ‘absurd’ and ‘bordering on hysteria’, as well as an abuse of the use of force. Speaking at the Munich security conference, Wang said: ‘It does not show the US is strong; on the contrary, it shows it is weak’ The Guardian