Dr. Elizabeth Wishnick, noted expert on Russia and China who focuses on international relations in Asia and Chinese foreign policy, analyzes the efforts of China to uphold its partnership with Russia and their shared interpretation of the invasion of Ukraine from the standpoint of perceived threat from the Western World.

However, Wishnick also discusses how the invasion of Ukraine raises problems with good reputation and trade relations with Europe, something China wants. In addition, the invasion jeopardizes China’s massive Belt and Road Initiative – its flagship program for ushering in infrastructure and commerce for Chinese-led economic growth in Asia, Africa, and elsewhere.

Dr. Elizabeth Wishnick is a Senior Research Scientist in the China and Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Division at the Center for Naval Analysis, on leave from her position as Professor of Political Science at Montclair State University. She is also a Senior Research Scholar at the Weatherhead East Asian Institute at Columbia University. Her current research focuses on international relations in Asia and Chinese foreign policy. She is the author of Mending Fences, which illuminates the forces driving Moscow’s China policy.

Music: Moonlight in the City sung in Mandarin by Ukrainian Artist Natalia
Editing by Ursula Rudenberg for the Pacifica Network
Recording by Michael Levine