GEOPOLITICS – This Tuesday, February 21, Zhang Jun, China’s permanent representative to the United Nations, said that a “independent investigation was necessary” in order to “find out the truth and identify those responsible” explosions of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines. This statement was made during the official trip of State Councilor Wang Yi to Moscow, to present a “peace plan”.
On February 9, Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov also demanded “a transparent international investigation” on this subject. Sweden and Denmark, which have conducted their own investigations, have not yet released any conclusions. The German investigation, meanwhile, is continuing.
“The international community has the right to demand a thorough investigation”
Beijing comes out of its reserve. In a tweet relayed by the Chinese Embassy in France, the official positions of the Middle Empire on the Nord Stream incident are clarified: “it is increasingly clear that what happened to the Nord Stream gas pipelines was not an accident, but a deliberate act”.
We hope relevant parties can heed the call for urgent investigations and truth-finding, engage in objective and impartial investigations to shed light on #NordStreamExplosion ASAP, … https://t.co/TRFsIAxPCR
— Chinese Embassy in France (@AmbassadeChine) February 22, 2023
In fact, on the side of Chinese diplomacy, people are surprised at the “collective silence from the US government, media and European partners” about the revelations of journalist Seymour Hersh, published on February 8 in the columns of the New York Times. The famous Pulitzer Prize winner had clearly pointed the finger at the responsibility of the United States behind the leaks from the Russian gas pipeline system.
Wang Wenbin, spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, like Zhang Jun, therefore calls for an investigation “objective, impartial and professional” on the recent explosion in the Baltic Sea. For Wang, given the serious consequences of the explosion on a global level, both in terms of energy and the environment, “the international community has the right to demand a thorough investigation”.
Declaring itself officially neutral in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, the Chinese government continues its call to “promote dialogue”. But in recent days, he is moving to a higher diplomatic level and trying to position himself as a real mediator.
Beijing came to Moscow to present a peace plan
Yesterday, the Kremlin received State Councilor Wang Yi, after he spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The head of Chinese diplomacy had just completed a tour of several European capitals. The purpose of this visit? Present a diplomatic exit plan to the war in Ukraine.
The Counselor made a point of specifying that the relations of his country with Russia “are not directed against third countries and resist their pressure”. The Chinese government also continues to deny any delivery of arms.
The content of this peace plan, broken down into twelve points, was unveiled to the general public on Friday 24 February. The first point mentions respect for the sovereignty of all countries, “whether big or small”and that all adhere strictly to international humanitarian law.
Nuclear security is also mentioned on several occasions, not only with regard to the rejection of any recourse to atomic weapons, but also with the preservation of power stations. Finally, China calls on the rest of the world to abandon the Cold War mentality and end unilateral sanctions outside of those provided by the UN.
This agreement will obviously have to suit both parties to the conflict. Beijing has never publicly supported or criticized “the special operation”but here calls for respect for the territorial integrity of“all countries”.