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     China Offers Support for Ukraine Without Backing Military Intervention

   by Shannon Van Sant

   As the crisis in Ukraine unfolds with Russian military troops fanning
   out around Ukraine's Crimean peninsula, Russian diplomats have asserted
   that China supports Russia's actions there.  Throughout this week
   China's comments on the situation have been muted.

   Qin Gang, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said China believes in
   non-interference in internal affairs and is taking into consideration
   historical facts as well as the complexity of the situation.

   That statement contrasts one earlier this week from Russia's Foreign
   Ministry after the Russian and Chinese foreign ministers spoke by
   telephone.  Russia said Moscow and Beijing had broadly coinciding views
   on the situation in Ukraine, implying that Russia had China's support
   for its military actions in the country.

   China's Foreign Ministry, however, has said China respects the
   sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and that all parties
   should use dialogue and negotiation to preserve peace in the region.

   Chinese news media coverage has been more pointed.  In an editorial
   this week China's Global Times newspaper stated that "the Ukrainian
   situation shows us clearly that in the international political arena,
   principles are decided by power."  In a commentary China's Xinhua news
   agency argued that the West's "biased mediation has polarized Ukraine
   and only made things worse in the country."

   Wang Dong, a professor of International Relations at Peking University,
   said conflicting views represented by the Chinese media and government
   are because China has much to lose and gain with the unfolding crisis
   in Ukraine.
   "China also has a lot at stake involved because we also have business
   with Ukraine," Wang said.

   In recent years Ukraine and China have formed military, trade and
   agricultural partnerships.  In 2012 Ukraine became the fourth-largest
   arms exporter in the world, with many of those exports going to China.
   Beijing's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, was built in Ukraine.

   Ukraine agreed last year to a deal for China to lease five percent of
   the country's land to grow crops and raise pigs for sale to Chinese
   state-owned companies.  As part of that deal China promised to build
   highways and bridges in the country.

   China also pledged $8 billion in aid during ousted Ukrainian President
   Viktor Yanukovych's visit to Beijing in December.  That was in addition
   to $10 billion China had previously given to the country.

   War in Ukraine would endanger China's investments there, and China's
   comments this week may be a delicate balance between offering some
   support for its neighbor, Russia, without directly backing military
   intervention from any side that could throw the region into more chaos.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/china-offers-support-for-ukraine-with
   out-backing-military-intervention/1863631.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/china-offers-support-for-ukraine-without-backing-military-intervention/1863631.html