«The Crimean question» in Russian-Chinese relations in the conditions of the Russian-Ukrainian war

Abstract

The article is devoted to the consideration of the essence of the «Crimean issue» in Russian-Chinese relations in the context of the Russian-Ukrainian war. The positions of the actors of international relations are analyzed, namely: Ukraine, russia, the USA and China. Attention is paid to frozen territorial conflicts: the «Taiwan problem», the Spratly Islands and the Kuril Islands. In this sense, it is emphasized that by starting a war against Ukraine, russia actually lost its position as a leading international player in the Asia-Pacific region. It is noted that the USA is very serious about russia. If the USA and russia begin to influence the situation in the region, relying on their military potential, it will make it very difficult for China to implement its foreign policy strategy ‒ because Beijing seeks to strengthen its influence in the Asia-Pacific region, and will not be able to lead the game from a position of strength. The study pays special attention to the examination of China’s position at the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian war in five main postulates, among which the support of sovereignty and territorial integrity according to the UN Charter should be noted.
It is emphasized that in this context, the problem of Crimea acquires a completely new meaning in the relations between Russia and China, because the example of Russian annexation can «inspire» the leadership of China to use a similar scenario in relation to Taiwan. Attention is drawn to the fact that Ukraine’s position on the «Crimean issue» should be clearly expressed: it should be considered as the return of the occupied territory.
In summary, we can say that Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and the subsequent Russian-Ukrainian war destabilized the existing system of international security, destroyed the post-war world order and caused Ukraine great losses. At the same time, these events have opened up certain strategic opportunities for China that Beijing can use in the future.