Top Chinese officials reportedly asked their Russian counterparts not to invade Ukraine until after the Winter Olympics in Beijing, which ended on Feb. 20, Biden administration officials and a European official told the New York Times, citing a Western intel report.
The meeting is the first indication that China had direct advance knowledge of Vladimir Putin’s plans to invade neighboring Ukraine. One day after the Olympics ended, Russia recognized two separatist regions in eastern Ukraine as independent states. Then, on Feb. 24, only four days after the ceremonies concluded in Beijing, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine - what Putin termed a “special military operation.”
Liu Pengyu, a Chinese official at the embassy in Washington, said that the reports “are speculations without any basis, and are intended to blame-shift and smear China.” U.S. officials have confirmed previous reporting by The Times that Washington informed senior Chinese officials about the Russian troop buildup around Ukraine, hoping that China would persuade Russia to pull back.
RFA
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