Russian Media Outlet RuNews24: 'China Openly Sides With Russia; The Game of Neutrality Is Over; Why This Changes Everything'

Memri

3 days ago

On July 20, 2025, Russian media outlet RuNews24 wrote an analysis titled "China Openly Sides With Russia; The Game of Neutrality Is Over; Why This Changes Everything." During a meeting with Kaja Kallas, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Chinese FM stated that Beijing cannot allow Russia to lose the war in Ukraine.
According to RuNews24, the world enters a new phase of confrontation, with the U.S. and its allies on one side and the emerging Sino-Russian alliance on the other, which no longer hides its intentions.
Meeting of Russian and Chinese Foreign Ministers Sergey Lavrov and Wang Yi in Beijing, July 13, 2025. (Source: Chinese Foreign Ministry).[1]
Below is RuNews24's article:[2]
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi: "Beijing Cannot Allow Russia To Lose The War Against Ukraine"
"Just the other day, an event took place that finally dotted all the i's. During a four-hour meeting with European Union head of diplomacy Kaja Kallas, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said something that had previously been heard only on the sidelines [of international events]. 'Beijing cannot allow Russia to lose the war against Ukraine, as this will grant the United States an opportunity to fully focus on China,' said Wang Yi, thereby completely contradicting China's previously iterated neutral stance in the conflict. These words came as a bolt from the blue for European diplomats. This is the first time a Chinese official of such [high] rank had openly acknowledged that Beijing had a direct interest in Russia not losing the war."
"Drones That Changed The Game"
"But even before this diplomatic acknowledgement, the world saw more concrete actions on the part of China. Zelenskyy stated that 'the Chinese 'Mavic'[3] is open to Russians but closed to Ukrainians.' According to him, 'there are production lines on Russian territory where Chinese representatives work.'
"He was talking about the popular DJI Mavic drones, which have become a true workhorse of the SVO.[4] By design, these are ordinary civilian quadcopters for aerial photography, but on the battlefield, they have become the 'eyes' and 'hands' of armies – they are used for reconnaissance and can carry explosives to strike targets.
"European officials have confirmed Zelenskyy's words. According to Ukrainian foreign intelligence, 80 percent of critically important electronics for Russian drones are of Chinese origin. What's more, China supplies arms components to 20 Russian military factories."
"What's Behind The Numbers"
"The scale of China's support for Russia is staggering. Shipments of dual-use goods from China to Russia again exceeded four billion USD in 2024, despite threats of secondary sanctions on the part of the US. During the period of February 2022 – February 2025, [Chinese president] Xi Jinping and [Russian President] Vladimir Putin met and/or spoke on the phone 10 times. Foreign Ministers Wang Yi and Sergey Lavrov held 18 meetings. The frequency of these interactions exceeds any other bilateral relationship for both China and Russia."
"Economic War In The Shadows"
"Russo-Chinese trade relations also speak for themselves. The share of the Chinese yuan in Russia's international trade has risen sharply since the start of the SVO and subsequent Western sanctions. Before the war, yuan settlements accounted for less than 2 percent of Russia's total trade [settlements], but have grown rapidly, exceeding 30 percent in the beginning of 2023.
"China became a critically important market for Russian gas, helping to offset losses from Europe [European export]. Russia began exporting natural gas to China through pipelines in 2019 with the launch of 'Sila Sibiri – 1' pipeline (Power of Siberia-1), which is set to reach full capacity of 38 billion cubic meters [of natural gas] per year by 2025."
Why China Is No Longer In Hiding
"Beijing has realized a simple truth: China will be left face-to-face with the collective West if Russia loses. Military conflict [in Ukraine] demands a significant portion of the resources of the United States and its European allies. Contrary to its propaganda narrative, China has little interest in a prompt settlement of the conflict via the talks.
"In May of 2025, Presidents Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin issued a joint statement defining new areas of cooperation between China and Russia, including upcoming economic, diplomatic, and military agreements. Both used particularly harsh language in their individual statements, condemning the 'unilateralism, hegemonism, hooliganism, and coercive practices' of the United States.
"For Ukraine, the new conditions pose serious problems. Previously, Russia fought almost alone, relying mainly on its own resources. Wherein, Ukraine received assistance from many Western countries – in the form of arms, money, and technology. But now the situation is starting to change.
"Now Russia not only increased drone production, but also received support from China, the world's second largest economy, which has huge manufacturing capabilities. This gives the Russian army new advantages and allows it to assert more pressure on the positions of Ukrainian troops."
"The New Global Balance Of Power"
"In the context of Russia's dispute with the West and the military conflict in Ukraine, China has become the Kremlin's most important and irreplaceable aide. As a result, Sino-Russian relations continue to deepen.
"The system that the two countries have been developing for more than three decades, currently dubbed as a 'comprehensive strategic coordination partnership for a new era,' has practically evolved into an informal anti-American alliance and has proven effective in practice.
"There is bad news for Americans here too. The proxy war against Russia is too costly for America – we are talking not only about financial costs, but also about the expenditure of military resources. Instead of accumulating military equipment in case of a possible war with China over Taiwan, which, according to analysts, may break out sooner or later, the U.S. is forced to spend everything on the Ukrainian front.
"China has demonstrated that it is willing to risk its relations with the West for the sake of a strategic alliance with Russia.
"The world enters a new phase of confrontation, with the U.S. and its allies on one side and the emerging Sino-Russian alliance on the other, which no longer hides its intentions.
"And this is just the beginning."