July 5 2023
Xi Jinping personally warned Vladimir Putin against using nuclear weapons in Ukraine, indicating Beijing harbours concerns about Russia’s war even as it offers tacit backing to Moscow, according to western and Chinese officials.
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China has consistently opposed the use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine in its public statements. But many of Kyiv’s backers have doubted Beijing’s commitment to such deterrence, given Xi’s “no limits” partnership with Putin and a “peace plan” that heavily overlaps with Russian talking points.
Xi’s warning, however, has given them hope that China is backing up its public rhetoric behind closed doors — and potentially threatening consequences for their relationship that would be sufficient to stop Putin from using a nuclear weapon.
https://www.ft.com/content/c5ce76df-9b1b-4dfc-a619-07da1d40cbd3