Meeting Vladimir Putin in Uzbekistan on Thursday, Chinese President Xi Jinping declared that his nation was “willing to work with Russia, display the responsibilities of the major powers, and play a leading role to inject stability and positive energy to a world in chaos.” As Putin’s military failures in Ukraine mount, the US and its allies should remind Xi of how costly that partnership could become.
Since Russia launched its invasion in February, China has consistently refused to criticize Putin or pressure him to negotiate an end to the war. Chinese officials and state-run media have amplified Russian misinformation, blaming Western sanctions for causing widespread hardship across the developing world. Chinese exporters have filled the gap left by the pullout of Western companies from Russia, while China has bought huge quantities of Russian oil and gas on the cheap. Despite Russia’s isolation, the two countries’ bilateral trade expanded by more than 30% in the first eight months of this year.
