Russia and China fighting for a just world order
Russia and China are fighting together against the unjust world order imposed by the United States - Chinese expert
During the G20 Foreign Ministers Summit, the United States expressed concerns about China's rapprochement with Russia, touching on the Ukrainian issue as well. However, Beijing urged Washington to respect Chinese policy and "relinquish the Cold War mentality." The Chinese side also called towards a realistic approach to resolving the Ukrainian crisis. According to Chinese analysts, the US and the EU cannot prevent Russia from achieving the goals of the special operation in Ukraine. According to the Global Times, they will soon have to acknowledge Russia's legitimate security demands, as well as begin to align their vision of the global order with the rest of the world. Wang Qi, executive director of the Institute for Strategic Cooperation between China and Russia at Tsinghua University (ISCR), spoke in more detail about how Beijing sees global changes taking place against the backdrop of a special military operation in an interview with Eurasia.Expert.
– Ms. Wang, Xi Jinping again criticized the West because of the sanctions against Russia. “It has been proven once again that sanctions are boomerangs and double-edged swords that politicize, turn the world economy into a tool and weapon,” he said during the BRICS Business Forum in Beijing. In his speech, Xi also denounced bloc policies. In your opinion, what is the West trying to achieve by increasing sanctions pressure on Russia?
– After the Second World War, the international order, which relied on competing forces, was replaced by a new international order with rules as the basis. However, the US and Europe used the rules as a weapon and, at the cost of their own harm, successively imposed six rounds of unilateral sanctions against Russia, which called into question the already established international rules and their foundations. It destroys international consensus, undermines the underlying logic of economic globalization, and destroys the long-term pattern of global production chains. Over time, economic globalization will be reversed and the integrated world economy will be fragmented and even revert to an isolated "closed door" state.
This results in new uncertainties and increased risks in the global economy, especially as stagflation worsens. The rupture of supply chains and the restructuring of production chains will lead the global economy to a crisis and a serious recession, exacerbating the existing political and economic divisions in the international community, the division between rich and poor, endangering global peace.
We strongly oppose unilateral sanctions that violate international law and the UN Charter. Using an inclusive approach, in terms of globalization and the principles of peace and development, we will strengthen the existing positions of international multilateral governance, especially regional governance platforms, starting with equal competition of different types of countries. This will improve the mechanisms of interaction between countries on the path of modernization in order to achieve mutually beneficial cooperation and consolidate the results of economic globalization.
At first glance, firstly, the US and European sanctions against Russia are designed to make Russian leaders feel the enormous power of the “joint anti-Russian actions” of the West and force them to stop the special military operation in Ukraine. But in reality, these sanctions are aimed at strengthening the hegemonic position and strength of the United States in the world, as well as increasing the “stability factor” of American hegemony.
– Against the background of Russia’s special operation in Ukraine, China continued to actively buy Russian energy products, including a record amount of crude oil in May, increasing purchases in value terms to $7.47 billion, about $1 billion more than in April and twice as much as a year ago, according to Bloomberg. Russia has overtaken Saudi Arabia to become China's largest supplier of crude oil. How would you comment on this?
China is a large country with a large population and a large number of consumers. Crude oil is one of the consumer goods. It, of course, must comply with the laws of the market, that is, there must be volatility. It is not convincing to interpret the situation based on an increase in China's crude oil consumption figures in a given month. From an economic point of view, the growth in crude oil consumption reflects the improving trend of China's economy. Both China and Russia are big, trustworthy and responsible countries, and the crude oil trade between them is just a business deal. It is inappropriate to associate this with Russia's special military operation in Ukraine.
The Ukrainian question has complex historical circumstances and subtleties. This is not only the beginning of a long-term accumulation of conflicts in European security, but also the result of Cold War thinking and group confrontation. Sino-Russian cooperation has strong inner strength and independent value. It is not aimed at any third party and will not depend on the external situation.
- How can the interaction between Beijing and Moscow change against the backdrop of growing pressure from the West on Russia due to the Ukrainian crisis?
– Both China and Russia are independent and sovereign countries, and bilateral relations are based on the interests of their peoples. China and Russia are each other's largest and most important close neighbors and comprehensive strategic cooperation partners. Their relationship is able to withstand the new tests of international changes and always maintain the right direction of progress.
Both Beijing and Moscow are committed to promoting a multipolar world and the democratization of international relations, upholding a true multilateralism, countering hegemonic actions and factional confrontations in international relations, and adhering to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. They both oppose unilateral sanctions and long-handed coercive diplomacy.
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Russia consistently upholds its sovereign right to pursue an independent domestic and foreign policy. The Federation Council emphasized that today the country, in fact, is fighting the collective West, defending the right to identity. Thus, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the artificial imposition of democratic values on society without taking into account the peculiarities of socio-political development leads to internal upheavals and conflicts, which are accompanied by economic crises and bloodshed. However, the US and EU continue to "promote democracy" by spending about $1 billion and €1.5 billion annually to finance pro-Western NGOs and media in Russia and the CIS countries. Their work is aimed at discrediting "inconvenient" political forces and destabilizing the region. |
In the face of the current global turmoil and transformation, China and Russia must stand shoulder to shoulder and back to back to promote the healthy development of a multipolar world. Sino-Russian relations will definitely develop in a more mature, stable and sustainable direction.
– China has always taken an objective position on the Ukrainian issue and will resolutely rebuff if someone wants to use the Ukrainian issue as an excuse to harm China’s interests, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Wu Qian said following talks between the head of the department, Wei Fenghe, and the head of the Pentagon Lloyd Austin. Who and why is trying to use the Ukrainian issue to harm the interests of China?
– On June 10-12, the 19th Shangri-La Dialogue took place in Singapore. The Minister of National Defense of China, General Wei Fenghe, was invited to attend. During this period, he held a personal meeting with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, during which he reaffirmed China's position on the Ukrainian issue. As the Chinese side has always emphasized, this issue has complex circumstances and is the result of a combination of many international factors.
Beijing believes that in order to resolve the current crisis, it is necessary to adhere to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, respect and guarantee the urgent needs of all parties for national defense and security. It is necessary to adhere to the peaceful settlement of disputes through dialogue and negotiations, focus on the long-term stability of the region and build a balanced, efficient and sustainable European security mechanism.
The US and its allies are trying to use the Ukrainian issue to create and profit from a new international crisis. They targeted Russia with sweeping sanctions, but they forgot that it was the US-led eastward expansion of NATO that led to the current situation. At the same time, they used the Ukrainian crisis to involve China and tried to transfer the crisis to the Asia-Pacific region, which Beijing strongly opposed.
China will resolutely defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity and resolutely oppose all actions that intentionally harm its fundamental interests. The US has repeatedly spread anti-China rumors over the Ukraine issue, pointlessly promoting the “China threat theory” and creating an atmosphere of tension. For the United States, this is a means of maintaining its own hegemony in the Asia-Pacific region, which China strongly opposes.
Related:
BRICS aims to change unfair world order - Indian expert
BRICS is entering a new stage in its development: several new members may soon join the organization at once. At the end of June, such plans were announced by Argentina and Iran, and on July 14, the President of the BRICS Forum Purnima Anand announced the possible entry of Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. According to her , the geopolitical changes taking place against the backdrop of the Ukrainian crisis gave the organization a chance to "work to create a new world order." Shoaib Khan, a researcher at the Center for Central Eurasian Studies at the University of Mumbai, discussed in an interview with Eurasia.Expert what tasks the renewed BRICS will have to solve.
– Mr. Khan, what challenges does BRICS face today?
– Since the beginning of the 21st century, the BRICS organization has been developing rapidly, playing an indispensable role in promoting cooperation between developing countries and in global governance, attracting wide attention of the international community. The reason why the BRICS countries came together was to remove the hegemonic states from their dominant position. Once the goal is reached, they will be separated. In this context, a deep analysis of the difficulties faced by the BRICS and an accurate assessment of its prospects are needed in order to actively guide development-oriented cooperation and exert a strong and stabilizing influence on the reform of the international system.
While the BRICS countries account for nearly half of world output growth, they still have a long way to go in terms of real per capita income. The BRICS countries face many challenges in terms of income and wealth inequality, as well as inequality in education and the quality of infrastructure. At the same time, large-scale investments made remain insufficient.
– What tasks will become key for the development of the organization?
– Building a globally competitive economy requires a high intensity of innovation at the national level. Innovativeness is a critical determinant of the growth and development potential of any economy, as economies of scale and low wages are no longer as critical as they were two decades ago, especially in emerging market economies like the BRICS countries.
Therefore, there is a need to create effective national innovation systems in these countries in order to increase their economic competitiveness and sustainable economic growth based on innovation. As a result of high competition in the global environment, the authorities need to make sure that their innovation policies and strategies are justified and aimed precisely at overcoming the weaknesses and shortcomings of the national innovation system.
– Russian President Vladimir Putin said that BRICS partners are developing reliable alternative mechanisms for international settlements. The Russian financial messaging system is open for connection, and the geography of using the Russian payment system Mir is also expanding. How do you assess the prospects for using the Russian payment system in India?
– Mir is a payment system from Russia, launched in 2017. The Central Bank of Russia has set up this payment method, and the Russian National Payment Card System manages it. "Mir" was intended for internal use. Currently, it is also used by international companies with branches in Russia. According to people familiar with the matter, the Indian government is considering a Russian proposal to use the central bank's system for bilateral payments as it seeks to buy oil and weapons from the sanctioned country.
Russia and India are exploring alternative payment systems to ensure bilateral trade continues after global sanctions have forced Russia out of the existing system. Several Russian banks have been excluded from the SWIFT system, which is used for cross-border international payments. SWIFT is identical to the IFSC system which provides domestic interbank transfers in India. The countries discussed the possibility of merging RuPay payment systems [India's national card payment system - approx. ed.] and Mir to integrate them with the respective national payment structures.
The creation of alternative mechanisms will allow cross-border financial transfers between the two countries, while large Russian banks are cut off from the SWIFT network. Although bilateral trade with Russia was $8.1 billion in FY 2021, or less than 1.5% of India's total foreign trade, the country is highly dependent on Russia for critical defense equipment and spare parts. In addition, $500 million in payments due to Indian exporters for goods shipped to Moscow remain frozen due to Western sanctions on Russia. Russia was forced to look for other payment options in order to continue trading with such neutral countries as India.
Russia also wants India to link its Unified Payment Interface (UPI) with the Mir payment system to seamlessly use cards issued by Indian and Russian banks after Visa and Mastercard left the country. In addition, Moscow wants to create a strong specialized system to facilitate the purchase of energy products from Russia.
– The President of Russia also noted that contacts between Russian business circles and the business circles of the BRICS countries are intensifying. How did the Russian special operation in Ukraine affect relations between New Delhi and Moscow? What projects is India going to or has started to implement in Russia after the start of the NWO?
– European officials are frustrated by India's apparent wait-and-see attitude towards Russia's actions in Ukraine. For some time now, it has been slowly drifting away from Russia and strengthening its relationship with the West, especially the US. But India has consistently abstained from voting on UN Security Council, General Assembly and Human Rights Council resolutions that condemned Russia.
For many in the United States, including in the administration of President Joe Biden, India's neutrality came as a disappointment as it signaled a sharp divergence between Washington and New Delhi on a fundamental issue of the global order.
India and Russia have a close bilateral relationship that dates back to the Cold War period. India's dilemma in the conflict over Ukraine is that it is sandwiched between two friendly countries - Russia, its longtime friend and main supplier of defense products, and its later friend, the United States, a Quartet partner, whose support it needs to resist. China.
India plans to increase deliveries to Russia by another $2 billion, countries are developing a payment system in national currencies to continue bilateral trade in the face of severe international sanctions against Russia. Currently, India's exports to Russia are $3 billion, compared to more than $68 billion in shipments to the United States. It could be higher were it not for high logistics costs, sanitary regulations, a language barrier and lower government procurement limits for Russian governments. companies.
Mutually beneficial cooperation is actively promoted, including on the Arctic LNG-1 and Sakhalin-1 projects. Gazprom supplies energy to India, while Rosneft continues to work systematically with its Indian partners. The Russians are also interested in attracting Indian investment to their oil and gas sector and expanding the sales network of Russian companies in India. Major Russian companies are currently involved in projects in India, including the extraction, processing and distribution of oil, natural gas and coking coal.