The recent developments in the Russia-Ukraine war and its ceasefire have been shrouded in uncertainty and uncertainty, fueling heated public opinion. Two days ago, Putin and Xi Jinping spoke by phone, amidst the murky waters of Sino-Russian relations. On February 24, the UN Security Council adopted a US-proposed draft resolution on ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict by a vote of 10 in favor, 0 against, and 5 abstentions. China and Russia voted in favor, while Britain and France abstained. Beijing, brimming with confidence, believed it had secured a spot in the Yalta Club. The call between the Chinese and Russian leaders was an attempt by Putin to increase his bargaining power with Trump and dispel speculation about Sino-Russian relations. But what about Beijing? What is the overall diplomatic position of the Xi Jinping regime, which is currently on the sidelines? How is he maneuvering? Can he become the Stalin of Yalta?
There's no doubt that Beijing's political, economic, trade, and diplomatic space is shrinking. Three crucial issues, in particular, have reached a dead end. Let's examine these three major obstacles in detail: US-Taiwan relations, the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Beijing's choice between the US and Europe.
Progress in US-Taiwan relations
The US State Department deleted the phrase "do not support Taiwan independence"
Last week, the US State Department updated its website regarding US-Taiwan relations, deleting a paragraph stating that the US "does not support Taiwan independence" and replacing it with the following: "We (the US) hope that cross-strait differences can be resolved through freedom, not coercion, and in a manner acceptable to the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait." This triggered a strong backlash from Beijing, which called the move a "serious missignal" and demanded that the White House stop using Taiwan to contain China. Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed gratitude to the US government for its support for Taiwan's participation in international diplomacy and for deepening US-Taiwan relations.
In fact, on May 5, 2022, the US State Department also deleted words such as "do not support Taiwan independence" and "Taiwan is a part of China" from its official website, but updated the website a few weeks later, restoring the words "do not support Taiwan independence", but no longer mentioned the words "Taiwan is a part of China", which also caused some diplomatic ripples that year.
