Former Pentagon adviser Jason Israel says there are “too many downsides” for China to become aligned with Russia following reports that Moscow has asked Beijing for military equipment to support its invasion of Ukraine.
US officials are concerned Beijing may undermine western efforts to help Ukrainian forces defend their country, according to the Financial Times.
“It’s very possible that it’s true,” Mr Israel said of the request for aid.
“But the big question here is would China take its long-standing policy of not getting involved in these issues overseas, in other countries, and put itself aligned with Russia at this time.
“All of its national interests would say no.”
Mr Israel said nothing in the statement released after Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin met last month on the side lines of the Olympics indicated they were “growing into an alliance” where Moscow could turn to China.
“Russia has a lot of illicit funds, hundreds of billions of dollars running around the world, it’s already hiring mercenaries from other countries to help fight in Ukraine, so my view is they could make that overture privately,” Mr Israel told Sky News Australia.
“China would likely not retaliate unless it was on the black market, and they could somehow avoid attribution from that.
“Because China becoming sort of aligned with Russia in this – there’s too many downsides for China.”
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