China, among other things, has invested heavily in peacekeeping, committing to the creation of an eight-thousand-strong peacekeeping force and participating in 29 missions to date. Participating in a mission in Ukraine would represent a demonstration of its image as a responsible power and would also guarantee it a leading role in the post-war reconstruction phase in Ukraine – in which Beijing has already shown interest.
China could send peacekeeping forces to Ukraine. This idea did not arise yesterday and is not directly linked to the “coalition of the willing” launched by Emmanuel Macron. According to European diplomatic sources cited by Welt am Sonntag, Beijing is considering the possibility of participating in this initiative. A “delicate” issue for Europe, aware however that Chinese involvement “could increase the likelihood that Moscow will accept the presence of troops in Ukraine”.
Xi Jinping’s interest in sending peacekeeping forces has been clearly expressed by Zhou Bo, a former Chinese army officer and influential figure in the field of defense: “China will act if and when it is asked to participate,” Zhou explains to La Stampa, adding: “It is difficult for Russia to accept peacekeeping forces from NATO countries. China can take the initiative and be joined by countries from the Global South.” Be careful, therefore, that China’s possible involvement should not be confused with direct support for the “coalition of the willing.” The Beijing leader will not attend Thursday’s summit in Paris, where Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will be present. It is impossible for Xi to support Macron’s request for a “clear and repeated commitment to support Ukraine.” His willingness to send peacekeeping forces follows a logic parallel to the European one and is not at all intended to distance himself from Moscow – on the contrary, it aims to provide it with security.
China, among other things, has invested heavily in the field of peacekeeping, committing to the creation of an eight-thousand-strong peacekeeping force and participating in 29 missions to date. Participating in a mission in Ukraine would represent a demonstration of its image as a responsible power and would also guarantee it a leading role in the reconstruction phase after the war in Ukraine – in which Beijing has already shown interest. For Beijing, the priority has always been Russia’s internal stability, where Vladimir Putin is seen as the guarantor of positive relations with its giant neighbor. All this without damaging relations with Europe. A complicated bet, but one that over time – and with the return of Donald Trump – Xi believes he can win.
“American unilateralism is the best glue for a China-Europe reunion,” says Zhou. And Beijing thinks it can take advantage of this situation, through strategic operations aimed at increasing its soft power. While Europe fears that the White House might abandon Kiev, the Asian power appears ready to defend the interests of both sides in the conflict.
While Trump is scaring the world with a series of tariffs, Beijing is presenting itself as a champion of free trade. A Chinese charm offensive is also taking place on the trade front. Starting tomorrow, dozens of top Western company executives will gather in Beijing for the China Development Forum. The initial list of participants includes names from the world’s economic elite, including the CEOs of Blackstone, Pfizer, Qualcomm, Aramco, Standard Chartered, TotalEnergies and AP Moller – Maersk. According to the Financial Times, many of them have been invited to a meeting with Xi, who has previously hosted Microsoft’s Bill Gates and Intel’s Pat Gelsinger, among others.
The goal is to stabilize foreign investment flows and secure the support of major leaders against tariffs, as a symbol of the search for “people-to-people” exchanges. As the saying goes: if something goes wrong in the relationship between the West and China, the White House has only itself to blame.
Perhaps for this reason, Xi does not seem to be in any hurry to meet with Trump, although the US president has announced in recent days that “the Chinese leader will visit the United States soon.” As early as February, after the first round of tariffs on Chinese products, Trump had called a phone call “imminent” that never happened. Xi has so far avoided rushing things, so as not to show signs of weakness. In 2017, Xi traveled to Mar-a-Lago in April, less than 100 days into Trump’s first term. This time, he is convinced that a longer wait could bring more benefits. Yesterday, at a high-profile trilateral meeting with his counterparts from Japan and South Korea, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi declared his readiness to lift a series of restrictions on imports from Tokyo and Seoul. In return, China hopes that these two neighbors – Washington’s main allies in the Region – will be less willing to be “recruited” by the US. A scheme that could also be applied to Europe.
The president of the Italian Senate, Ignazio La Russa, is leaving for Beijing today. In the coming weeks, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and French President Emmanuel Macron, among others, will do the same.
