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LIMITING CHINA’S SUPPORT FOR RUSSIA IN THE UKRAINE WAR

The unprovoked invasion of Ukraine by Russia is a significant escalation of a conflict that

began in 2004 that resulted in the annexation of Crimea. The international community generally

condemned the attack by Russia on its neighbor. Furthermore, the U.S. and its European allies

imposed sanctions limiting trade and financial transactions with Russia is intended to cripple the

economy and deter the nation from continuing this unprovoked attack. In conformity to their

bilateral relationship, China has refrained from condemning Russia, stating, among other reasons,

that neither the importance of the principle of ‘indivisible security’ nor the history and complexity

of the conflict had not been considered.1 China's support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine presents

a threat to the United States as it increases Russia's ability to counter Western-led economic

sanctions and improve its chances of defeating Ukraine. A Russian victory would upset European

stability and threaten the US-backed international order.

China has many reasons for maintaining its bilateral relationship with Russia. The two

nations share a common border, which requires good neighborliness as it lessens the burden of

border security. As the two countries have a revisionist mentality, China's interest in the Taiwan

Strait and Russia in Europe, their relationship frees them to use their troops elsewhere.

Furthermore, economically China serves as one of the largest markets for Russia’s export of gas

and oil and thus countering sanctions imposed by the West. This relationship conforms to the

Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation signed in 2001.

1
“China’s Position on Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine,” accessed August 27, 2022,
https://www.uscc.gov/research/chinas-position-russias-invasion-ukraine.
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The U.S. strongly condemned Russia’s offensive assault on Ukraine. President Biden has

stated of “implications and consequences” if Beijing gave material support to Russia.2 There has

been bipartisan approval of actions taken by Congress to support Ukraine. Congress has passed

approvals for military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine. According to the U.S. Department of

Defense Press Release on 8 August 22, about US$9.8 billion in security assistance to Ukraine has

been committed since 2021.3

Regional stability, which is significant to U.S. interests, is threatened by the expansion of

war with the allied partners. China’s support to Russia has the propensity to lead to a protracted

war which results in unforeseen consequences. With the recent skirmishes near Ukraine’s

Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant by Russia, an attack could cause radiation leaks affecting the

region, thereby drawing the other nations into the conflict. Furthermore, the U.S. economy's

prosperity is a matter of interest since a drawn-out war could destabilize the global economy,

leading to high inflation and recession. Although the economic interest may be peripheral as the

U.S. has a strong economy to bounce back, it would significantly impact the developing world.

President Biden, in an op-ed to the New York Times on 2 June 2022, stated that “America’s goal

is straightforward: We want to see a democratic, independent, sovereign and prosperous Ukraine

with the means to deter and defend itself against further aggression,”4 This statement reflects the

U.S. values on security, democracy, and territorial integrity, thus reflecting an important U.S.

2
David E. Sanger and Edward Wong, “Biden Warns China of ‘Consequences’ If It Aids Russia in Ukraine War,” The
New York Times, March 18, 2022, sec. World, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/18/world/europe/biden-xi-
russia-china.html.
3
“$1 Billion in Additional Security Assistance for Ukraine,” U.S. Department of Defense, accessed August 30, 2022,
https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3120059
4
Joseph R. Biden Jr, “Opinion | President Biden: What America Will and Will Not Do in Ukraine,” The New York
Times, May 31, 2022, sec. Opinion,
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/31/opinion/biden-ukraine-strategy.html.
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interest. The U.S, therefore, is tied to the commitment to ensure this objective is met no matter

how long it takes.

The U.S. Strategic Competition Act 2021 addresses various foreign relations and focuses

on China. This bill, in its generality, sees China as a threat. Strategic competition can be assessed

as the pursuit of economic and technological advantage, leading to military advantage. The U.S.

and China economies are interdependent and have equal access to the global economy.

The U.S. has exerted its influence by projecting liberal values such as democratic freedoms

and human rights. On the other hand, China runs a one-party state-run government that seeks to

project its foreign policy through a more transactional system. China’s policy of transactions

without interference in the domestic affairs of other nations has drawn it closer to traditional U.S.

partners. In 2013, China rolled out the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), valued at US$3.7 trillion,

involving several countries in Eurasia, the Middle East, and Africa, posing a significant challenge

to the U.S.5 In July 2021, the U.S. and its G7 allies also launched the Build Back Better World

(B3W) project, a US$40+ trillion to provide infrastructural needs in the developing world.6 This

project strategically counters China's BRI.

Furthermore, the race for technological supremacy is ongoing as China leapfrogged the

U.S. with the 5G and other leading-edge A.I. technologies. China's rapid technological

advancement, making inroads in space and defense, is eroding the U.S. advantage. China has the

highest reserve of rare earth metals, essential components for specialized equipment and gadgets.

5
“Belt and Road Initiative,” Belt and Road Initiative (blog), accessed August 30, 2022, https://www.beltroad-
initiative.com/belt-and-road/.
6
Danny Scull and Claire Healy, “ONE VISION IN THREE PLANS:,” n.d., p4.
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The U.S. imported 80 percent of its rare metals from China in 2019, thus heavily reliant on China

for this crucial component.7

As stated in the Summary of the 2018 National Defense Strategy of the United States of

America, ‘China is leveraging military modernization, influence operations, and predatory

economics to coerce neighboring countries to reorder the Indo-Pacific region to their advantage.'8

China, over the years, has been modernizing and developing its military for the future. It has also

enhanced its power projection by establishing military bases on artificial islands in the South China

Sea, thereby asserting its control within the South and East China Seas. The U.S., over decades,

has also established forward bases across the world, including the Middle East and Diego Garcia

in the Indian Ocean, and therefore has effective control of the Indian Ocean. Furthermore, the

Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) involving the US, India, Australia, and Japan, initially

formed in 2007, was revived in response to China’s military dominance in the East and South

China Seas.

The United States views the governance system in China as despotic and undemocratic by

comparing the western democratic system of Universal Adult Suffrage to China's One-party State

rule without considering factors such as history, population size, culture, and demography. This

bias may be unfounded because China has operated under this form of governance for decades and

has been successful.

Additionally, China is viewed as a global threat because it is perceived as attempting to

dominate the world. In research conducted by the Pew Research Center on ‘What Americans think

7
Legacy IAS, “Rare Earth Metals at the Heart of China-U.S. Rivalry,” Legacy IAS Academy (blog), June 14, 2021,
https://www.legacyias.com/rare-earth-metals-at-the-heart-of-china-u-s-rivalry/.
8
Jim Mattis, “Summary of the 2018 National Defense Strategy,” n.d., p2.
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about China’,9 some respondents were uncomfortable with the U.S.'s reliance on China for several

manufactured goods. The suspicious and adversarial relationship between the two largest

economies of the world is unhealthy as both nations are economically interdependent.

Policymakers must tone the rhetoric of war in favor of promoting peaceful co-existence and

partnership as well as a respect and tolerance governance system.

9
Shannon Schumacher and Laura Silver, “In Their Own Words: What Americans Think about China,” Pew Research
Center (blog), accessed August 31, 2022,
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/03/04/