A Western intelligence report said that in early February Chinese officials asked Russia not to invade Ukraine before the end of the Winter Olympics in Beijing.
According to the officials’ report of the Biden administration and a European official, China had some level of knowledge about Russia’s war plans or intentions before the invasion began last week.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin met with President Xi Jinping of China in Beijing on February 4 before the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games.
Moscow and Beijing issued a statement of 5, words at the time declaring that their association “had no limits”, denouncing the enlargement of NATO and stating that they would establish a new global order with true “democracy”.
Intelligence about the exchange between Chinese and Russian officials was classified. However, it was compiled by a Western intelligence service and was deemed “credible” by officials who reviewed it.
Senior US and allied government officials broadcast it while discussing when Putin might attack Ukraine.
However, the different intelligence services had different interpretations and it is not clear how widely the information was shared.
“Cold War” Mentality
Xi Jinping, President of China, held a dialogue at the end of February with the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, before the invasion of Ukraine in which he asked him to leave the “Cold War mentality” and re resolve the conflict through diplomacy.
“(China) supports Russia in the resolution through negotiations with Ukraine”, were part of the statements collected by the Chinese state channel CCTV, in a summary of the telephone call between the two leaders.
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