China 'unsettled' over possible sanctions amid Ukraine crisis

BEIJING: The Ukraine crisis seems to have made China aware of the "costs and consequences" of a likely attempt to use force to gain control over Taiwan, according to analysts. China has neither condemned Russian actions in Ukraine nor ruled out the possibility of Beijing acting as a mediator in a push for peace.

Not only is there a fear of "economic uncertainty" there is also "reputational damage" due to China's association with the "brutishness of Russia's aggression" against Ukraine and due to these Chinese President Xi Jinping has become "unsettled," according to the Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns. Burns was quoted in an analysis by Policy Research Group, in which he opined that the "bitter experience" of the first 10-11 weeks of the Russia-Ukraine conflict has come as a surprise for China.

The country witnessed a heavy sell-off of Chinese stocks because of fear of Chinese companies that the country could face sanctions. The Chinese government had to make an urgent announcement that it would do nothing to invite sanctions in order to keep the financial markets safe and stable. Meanwhile, the publication reported that Taiwan's Foreign Minister Joseph Wu expressed hope that the international community would support the Taiwanese government in case of Chinese invasion, and would place sanctions on China in the same way the sanctions were imposed against Russia.

Reports indicate that discussions have already begun within China in terms of legal measures to avoid repercussions impinging on International law in case of Chinese invasion of Taiwan, as per Policy Research Group. The suggested measures include China should stress that its actions are on legal basis under the UN Charter, Cite Article 2 and its Section 4 to deem its operations as "legal use of force".

Furthermore, in case of any foreign support to Taiwan, cite Section 7 of Article 2 to warn such state to stay away, and counter the countries that support Taiwan with diplomatic and economic sanctions. The measures also include that China could exercise its jurisdiction over Taiwan's EEZ to impose total blockades and embargos.

There is a lot of conjecture about the strategic relationship between China and Russia, and the degree of knowledge that Chairman Xi Jinping had before President Vladimir Putin launched his lamentable invasion of Ukraine. This war is proving to be fraught with risks for China, putting Beijing in an awkward nexus as it tries to juggle support for its ally while pretending to be neutral.

China has tried hard to portray itself as neutral in this conflict, but it is patently obvious that it is not easy walking such a tightrope. Russian talking points are blithely repeated by Chinese officials, one example being the ridiculous notion that the USA has biological warfare laboratories in Ukraine.