Thread by @wentisung

As US alleges China is providing 'non-lethal support' for Russia, China's MFA fires back and blames US for giving weapons to Ukraine.

This is in line with longstanding Chinese view. PSA: Back in Sept 2022, China effectively said that Russia's war against Ukraine is a #JustWar./1

2/ The closest thing to a direct official Chinese judgment of the nature of that war so far (AFAIK) comes from China's #3 leader, National People's Congress Speaker Li Zhanshu.

3/ When Li Zhanshu visited Russia in Sept 2022, he told Russian Duma's speaker that "China understands and supports matters concerning Russia's core interests."
("在涉及俄罗斯核心利益和一些重大关键问题上，中方对俄罗斯表示充分的理解和支持。")

https://twitter.com/xinwendiaocha/status/1569899445453729793?s=20

4/ What threatened Russia's core interests? And were Russian response appropriate, proportional, and worthy of Chinese support?

Short answer is yes, it's all US' & NATO's fault, Russian action is right, and China will help.

5/ In Li Zhanshu's own words: "As US & NATO crept up onto Russia's doorstep, Russia undertook actions it deemed appropriate. China understands this and has provided concrete #support in various ways".

6/ Sounds a lot like promising China's "non-lethal support" for Russia, right there?

("现在的乌克兰问题，美国和北约直接逼到俄罗斯家门口。……俄罗斯采取其认为应采取的一些措施，中方表示理解，而且从不同的方面给予策应。")

7/ Conundrum is per this Chinese narrative, China is doing the right thing in helping the victim as they see it (Russia), with 'non-lethal support' and/or 'lethal support' if necessary, much like the West is helping out the victim as they see it (Ukraine) with loans & weapons.

8/ Wildly out of sync with the international community this view of Russia-Ukraine war may be, if China continues to stick its fingers into its ears, at most other countries can blame it for being dumb, but not being evil. That gives BJ plausible deniability as it helps Russia.

9/ Play dumb pays. Narrative justifies behaviors. The challenge for the West then is figuring out what tools can delegitimate that narrative, get China to change its official story about Russia-Ukraine War, thereby compelling change in its behavior? #定性問題. /end