HONG KONG — China has expressed support for Russia’s efforts to maintain national stability after a failed mercenary uprising posed a brief but unprecedented challenge to the government of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko was in Beijing on Sunday, a day after Yevgeny Prigozhin called off an advance on Moscow by forces of the Wagner mercenary group and agreed to leave for Belarus in exchange for the charges being dropped.
“The Chinese side expressed its support for the efforts of the leaders of the Russian Federation to stabilize the situation in the country in connection with the events of June 24, and reaffirmed its interest in strengthening the unity and further prosperity of Russia,” it said. the Russian Ministry. of Foreign Affairs said in a later statement.
Rudenko and Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang discussed China-Russia relations and “international and regional issues of common interest,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on its website.
Rudenko’s trip had not been previously announced, according to The Associated Press, and it was unclear when he arrived in Beijing or if his trip was related to the uprising.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry later described the rebellion as “an internal matter of Russia.”
“As Russia’s friendly neighbor and comprehensive strategic coordinating partner for the new era, China supports Russia in maintaining national stability and achieving development and prosperity,” an anonymous spokesperson said in a statement on Sunday.
The statement did not mention Putin or Prigozhin.
Russia and China are not formal allies, but Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, who refer to each other as “dear friends,” declared an “unlimited” partnership at a meeting in Beijing weeks before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February. of 2022.
China has refused to condemn Russia’s actions in Ukraine or even describe it as an invasion, repeating Russian talking points advocating war. But he also expressed concern about the humanitarian situation and called for peace talks, presented his own 12-point plan earlier this year and sent a representative to Ukraine and Russia last month in an effort to mediate.
In March, three US officials said new intelligence suggested China was considering sending artillery and ammunition to Russia. China has promised it will not sell weapons to either side in the Ukraine war, a point reiterated by Secretary of State Antony Blinken during his trip to Beijing last week.
Ukraine and its allies such as the United States have criticized Beijing’s peace plan as too favorable to Russia and say there can be no negotiations until Putin withdraws his troops.
In an emergency address to the nation on Saturday amid the Wagner crisis, Putin said his government “will protect our people and state from any threat, including internal treason.” But US military analysts say the revolt has weakened the Russian president and his rule could still be in jeopardy as he seeks to retain support at home and abroad.
Putin “is in real trouble,” said retired Army General Barry McCaffrey, an analyst for NBC News, and that could influence policy in China and other countries that have tried to present themselves as neutral in the Ukraine conflict.
“The Chinese, the Indians, the Brazilians, the Middle East are trying to reassess the likelihood of Putin surviving much longer,” he said.
Others say Putin’s opponents should be careful what they wish for, arguing that the prospect of defeat could push the Russian president to use tactical nuclear weapons, a threat President Joe Biden and others say is “real.”
“After the Wagner incident, the war will be bloodier and Putin will be more determined,” said Wang Yiwei, director of the International Affairs Research Center at Renmin University of China in Beijing.
If the Russian government were to collapse, it “will only make the situation more dangerous,” he said.
Dusa Gambril contributed.
