The last time President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine and China’s top leader, Xi Jinping, communicated, they celebrated 30 years of diplomatic ties, hailing their “deepening political mutual trust” and their people’s “profound friendship.”
That was in January 2022. Less than two months later, Russia, one of China’s closest partners, invaded Ukraine. Since then, Mr. Xi had not spoken to Mr. Zelensky until Wednesday, despite the Ukrainian leader’s repeated requests.
The “sound and stable” relationship they touted had seemed like a distant memory, and the question of when the pair would speak reflected their countries’ uncertain state of relations amid Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Before the war, trade and cultural exchanges had been growing. Now, both sides are juggling goals that sometimes conflict.
Ukraine had been wooing China for its potential to rein in Russian aggression. But it was keenly aware of Beijing’s demonstrated reluctance to do so, and of concerns that it could in fact arm Russia. Public opinion in Ukraine toward China had been souring.
China, in turn, has wanted to maintain its professed neutrality in the conflict. But it has also cast the war as a proxy battle over the future world order, with the United States on one side and itself and Russia on the other. Kyiv’s embrace of the West puts it on the wrong side of that divide.
There is also the reality that Ukraine, as a country under attack, does not hold the same economic appeal for China as before.
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