The video explores the complex geopolitical dynamics surrounding China's position in the Ukraine war, particularly its unbounded friendship with Russia and how this impacts its relationship with Europe, its largest trade partner. Senior Colonel Zhou Bo, a retired officer of the People's Liberation Army and a senior fellow at the Center for International Security and Strategy at Tsinghua University, shares insights on the pressures China faces and its strategic stance in this ongoing conflict.

Senior Colonel Zhou Bo discusses whether China's friendship with Russia is under strain due to the Ukraine conflict. He touches on China's discomfort due to its position between two significant global powers and highlights China's non-military alliance stance. He underscores that the war in Ukraine affects China's global economic interests and relationships and emphasizes that China, being a global power, should contribute positively by promoting peace and discouraging the use of nuclear weapons.

Main takeaways from the video:

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Key Vocabularies and Common Phrases:

1. leverage [ˈlɛvərɪdʒ] - (noun / verb) - The power to influence a person or situation to achieve a particular outcome. - Synonyms: (advantage, influence, control)

And if China does have leverage with Russia, can China use that leverage to prevent Russia from escalating the military conflict?

2. rhetorically [rɪˈtɒrɪkli] - (adverb) - In terms of using language effectively, especially to influence or persuade. - Synonyms: (eloquently, persuasively, articulately)

because of the friendship that China has with Russia, which has been, well, certainly rhetorically unwavering during the war.

3. ubiquitous [juːˈbɪkwɪtəs] - (adjective) - Present, appearing, or found everywhere. - Synonyms: (omnipresent, pervasive, ever-present)

therefore, chinese interests are almost ubiquitous everywhere and in Europe.

4. eschew [ɪsˈtʃuː] - (verb) - Deliberately avoid using; abstain from. - Synonyms: (shun, avoid, refrain from)

Because China is a great power, and great power shoulders greater responsibility. And what is China's greatest responsibility in this war? That is not to throw wood into the fire.

5. sandwiched [ˈsændwɪtʃt] - (verb) - To be caught between two conflicting people or forces. - Synonyms: (trapped, caught, situated)

this is a bit like being sandwiched, you know, between two friends.

6. detriment [ˈdɛtrɪmənt] - (noun) - The state of being harmed or damaged. - Synonyms: (harm, damage, disadvantage)

It actually has worsened China's relationship with many European capitals who believe China should actually take sides.

7. allegiance [əˈliːdʒəns] - (noun) - Loyalty or commitment to a group or cause. - Synonyms: (loyalty, faithfulness, fidelity)

Do you feel that China has leverage with Russia, given that China is certainly a diplomatic ally of Russia?

8. presumption [prɪˈzʌmpʃən] - (noun) - An idea that is taken to be true, and often used as the basis for other ideas, although it is not known for certain. - Synonyms: (assumption, supposition, belief)

in spite of friendship, this friendship is limited? We cannot say our friendship should be limited. So this is a kind of a goodwill gesture.

9. invasion [ɪnˈveɪʒən] - (noun) - An instance of invading a country or region with armed forces. - Synonyms: (incursion, attack, raid)

While this certainly is an important issue about sovereignty, this is clearly an invasion of one country into another country.

10. reconstruction [ˌriːkənˈstrʌkʃən] - (noun) - The action or process of reconstructing or being reconstructed. - Synonyms: (rebuilding, restoration, renovation)

Is China interested, for instance, to help rebuild Ukraine?

Former PLA officer says China is restraining Russia over use of nuclear weapons - FT

China finds itself in an uncomfortable position over the war in Ukraine. Beijing's no limits friendship with Russia puts it on the opposite side to its largest trade partner, Europe. This raises a number of key questions. One of the most crucial is, can Beijing use its leverage with Moscow to restrain Russia from using nuclear weapons? And as Ukraine gets the upper hand militarily, what role does Beijing see for itself once the fighting is eventually over? With me to discuss this is senior Colonel Zhou Bo, a retired officer from China's Peoples Liberation Army, who is now a senior fellow at the Centre for International Security and Strategy at Tsinghua University.

Welcome, senior colonel. Thank you, James. Could I start by just asking you how you feel the war in Ukraine is going for Russia? As I mentioned, China has a no limits friendship with Russia. Do you feel that this friendship is now coming under strain? Of course, China doesn't want to have this war, and I believe nobody wants to have this war, and I believe even President Putin would regret to have this war because of the result, which is apparent. He could not afford to lose the war, but apparently he can hardly win this war.

When China thinks about this war, I think you mentioned a very important word which is often misquoted in international media, although they quoted in the right way to call it unlimited friendship. But this term is most misunderstood in that think of this. When people talk about their friendship, of course they wish this friendship would last. And should we say, in spite of friendship, this friendship is limited? We cannot say our friendship should be limited. So this is a kind of a goodwill gesture. But in the statement where this word is mentioned, we also talked about this is not a military alliance.

Would you say there are now divergences in view between China and Russia over the war in Ukraine? Do you feel that there is tension in China with regard to what Russia is doing in Ukraine? Well, certainly not happy to see this wall because it strongly affected Chinese interest. When I talk about Chinese interest. Well, because China now is the largest trading nation, largest industrial nation in the world, therefore, Chinese interests are almost ubiquitous everywhere and in Europe, it actually has affected China's Belt Road initiative. It actually has worsened China's relationship with many European capitals who believe China should actually take sides, not to take Russian sides on this issue. So it is damaging to China in many ways.

But China has to be very careful on this issue because this is a bit like being sandwiched, you know, between two friends. So is my friend's enemy also my enemy? Not necessarily. And I think Chinese position has paid off because both sides would understand this position, having said that this does not mean that China would just stand out of Dubai and watching this going on. No, China is not. And China cannot afford to behave like that because China is a great power, and great power shoulders greater responsibility. And what is China's greatest responsibility in this war? That is not to throw wood into the fire.

While this certainty is an important issue about sovereignty, this is clearly an invasion of one country into another country. But at the same time, people tend to forget why this has happened at all. Because ever since the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, Boris Yeltsin, on to President Putin, they have all warned against this kind of NATO expansion and they have all fell down deaf ears. Putin is different in that he put this kind of warning into military operation, and that is the difference.

Do you feel that China has leverage with Russia, given that China is certainly a diplomatic ally of Russia? And if China does have leverage with Russia, can China use that leverage to prevent Russia from escalating the military conflict, perhaps beyond Ukraine, into other parts of Europe? I think China's leveraging is setting there. For example. Let's think about this. The world is afraid that President Putin might resort to use of nuclear weapons. China's voice matters, and Chinese friendship with Russia would matter all the more on this issue. So probably it has already played a significant role in reducing such nightmare from happening.

Right. And is this a conscious effort by China at the moment, or is it a sort of passive wish that China has, that Russia should restrain itself from any scenario in which it might use nuclear weapons? As I said before, this is a difficult situation for China. But China is the second largest economy in the world. China is a member of UN Security Council on such issue that is totally, deeply rooted in humanity. China must have its voice voiced. China must show to the international community what is the right thing to do and what is the forbidden things that should never be carried out.

If we talk about global south, there are many countries who actually more or less would have a sort of sympathy with Russia's position. So when we talk about worldviews, we cannot only talk about what people think in the west. We have to think about the global response on this matter.

Who would China primarily blame for the war in Ukraine? Would it be the eastward expansion of NATO or would it be Putin's actions? I would say NATO's expansion is very much the fundamental reason why Russia has actually taken such actions. So for military alliances, they have to find a threat to justify their own existence, to justify the expansion, because they live by expansion.

But when I think about NATO, I believe it is not morally justifiable for the continued existence of NATO. Why do I say that? Because if it is a bunch of small countries getting united against a big power, then I understand. But if the strongest nation on earth would become united, then I would have to think for what this is for political reasons, because you are already strong enough militarily, I suppose China's image and China's reputation has been damaged in Europe because of the war and because of the friendship that China has with Russia, which has been, well, certainly rhetorically unwavering during the war.

Now that it looks like we may be moving to a new phase and possibly towards an endgame of the war in Ukraine, do you think that China really wants to repair its relations with Europe? Well, I think it would be wrong to conclude that China's image is damaged, because I believe the west has to think over China's role not only through its own prison, but you put yourself in the shoes of China, put yourself in the shoes of India, put yourself in the shoes of the country in the global south, you would find that China's position is not a unique position, actually.

Let's talk about another issue about liberal democracy. Well, if this has something to do with order, what is apparent is, yeah, not the owning the world is becoming less western, but also the west itself is becoming less western. This is not my conclusion. This is the conclusion of Munich Security Conference. This is the theme of one of the conferences. So we are seeing global democracy declining, and I believe it will continue to decline because it has declined for about 15 or 16 years.

So what's China's view on its relationship with Europe? If we are moving towards a potential endgame in the war in Ukraine, does that present an opportunity for China to improve its relations with Europe? China definitely would like to secure its good relationship with Europe. That means we do not want you to take sides, as always, on American side. This is a very simple, good wish from China.

And Europe has so many things for us, high tech, technology and market, all these things that are needed for China, then the question lies more with how Europe would look at China. So this is the kind of describing China as an economic competitor, partner somewhere, and a systemic rival altogether is confusing for China. So I believe it tells about the confusion of Europe as a whole. There are so many slogans in Europe which are difficult to understand, even for Europeans, for example, like a strategic autonomy, so on and so forth. And I hope this war actually would make Europeans to think about things more independently.

At some point, the war in Ukraine will end and at that point, what kind of posture do you think China will take? Is China interested, for instance, to help rebuild Ukraine? We all know that China has been building infrastructure all over the world and lending about a trillion US dollars to the Belt and Road initiative to build infrastructure. So do you think China might be looking for that kind of role in Ukraine after the war has ended, whenever that may be?

If China can invest trillions of dollars in Belt and Road initiative that actually is around the world, why can't China help a war torn country which is always friendly towards China? So this is possible. The second thing is about China's next to none capability in infrastructure building. So China actually could make, if you look at the world, the roads that China built, the houses or the buildings that China built, they are much more faster in being made and they are more affordable. And this is important for our wardrobe country like Ukraine. So I believe China doesn't have exceptional capability, but China has unique capabilities in the post war area for rebuilding a more beautiful Ukraine.

Senior Colonel Joel, thank you very much indeed for talking to us. Thank you.

China, Russia, Europe-Ukraine, Global, Politics, Nuclear Weapons, Financial Times