fredag 8. april 2022

Can war massacres sway China’s support of Russia?

China has described reports and images of civilian killings in Ukraine as disturbing, and urged that they be further investigated, even while declining to blame Russia. That’s drawn questions about the resiliency of Beijing’s support for Moscow, but speculation that it is weakening appears to be misplaced.

In his statement Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian referred to reports of atrocities in the town of Bucha, saying, “The truth and the cause of the incident must be verified.” He said that all parties should exercise restraint and avoid “unfounded accusations before a conclusion of the investigation.” Crucially, Zhao did not mention Russian forces and gave no indication of how evidence should be gathered or by whom.