BELGIUM – During a private four-hour meeting in Brussels on 3 July 2025, China’sForeign Minister Wang Yi told EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas that Beijing cannot let Russia lose its war in Ukraine.

Sources with knowledge of the discussion said Wang’s clear statement highlights China’s approach: keeping the conflict going in Ukraine ties up the United States, stopping Washington from turning its full attention to China.

This report, first shared by the South China Morning Post, shines a light on how China’s foreign policy uses Russia’s war as a way to protect its interests, especially in the Indo-Pacific.

Since President Xi Jinping called the China-Russia bond a “no-limits” partnership in February 2022, the relationship between Beijing and Moscow has only grown. As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine drags on, China has become an economic lifeline for Moscow.

China supplies goods with both civilian and military uses and helps Russia get around Western sanctions. Wang told Kallas that if China was directly supporting Russia with weapons or large financial aid, the war would have ended much sooner.

China’s help isn’t selfless. Ukrainian officials have tracked exports of Chinese parts used in Russian drones, including those found in Geran-2 models. In a recent heavy drone attack on Kyiv, evidence pointed to Chinese-made components.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybiha, also remarked that a Chinese consulate in Odesa suffered minor damage from Russian strikes, calling it a “metaphor” for the way China’s support, though indirect, fuels a conflict it claims to oppose.

Publicly, China repeats its neutral stance. On 4 July, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated, “China is not a party to the Ukraine issue,” and called for talks to end the fighting. Privately, though, Wang made clear to Kallas that China believes a Russian defeat would let the U.S. focus on Beijing, especially over Taiwan and the South China Sea.

Russia’s Fresh Attacks and China’s Involvement

Russia’s recent wave of more than 100 drones targeting Kyiv and other cities shows the fighting hasn’t slowed. Parts of Kyiv now lie in ruins as Western support for Ukraine shows signs of weakening. On 1 July, the U.S. Defence Department paused key weapon shipments to Ukraine, including Patriot missiles, because of low stocks at home. This, along with President Donald Trump’s lack of urgency on Ukraine, gives China more room to act.

Wang’s remarks to Kallas show Beijing sees a drawn-out conflict as useful, distracting the U.S. from Asia. A diplomatic source quoted by the South China Morning Post said, “The longer the United States remains caught up in Ukraine, the less likely a direct clash with China becomes.” This lines up with China’s wider goal to split Western unity and reduce American influence in the Indo-Pacific.

Donald Trump’s return to the White House adds another layer for Beijing to weigh. Trump has put more focus on U.S.-China ties than on the Ukraine war. After recent calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump admitted, “No, I didn’t make any progress with him today at all,” showing little headway on a ceasefire. His administration’s choice to put Ukraine on the back burner helps China by keeping the U.S. distracted, though it does risk a sudden peace that shifts U.S. focus back to Asia.

Trump’s approach to foreign policy tends to be transactional. He often names China as America’s biggest rival, a view shared by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth. China worries that if Russia falls— or even if the war ends with a deal— the U.S. would be free to push back harder against Beijing’s rise. EU officials described Wang’s honesty with Kallas as a “harsh dose of realpolitik,” showing that China wants the Ukraine war to continue as a strategic buffer.

China’s Hand in Ukraine and Quiet Frustrations

China’s role in the Ukraine conflict goes beyond trade and economic ties. Beijing presents itself as a peacemaker, calling for negotiations, while undercutting Western efforts to isolate Moscow. At the recent Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, President Zelenskyy accused China of sabotaging a planned peace summit on Russia’s behalf, an accusation China denied.

Still, China’s trade in dual-use technology and public hosting of Russian leaders, including President Putin at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, hint at a steady effort to help Russia without open military backing.

Behind the scenes, China’s leadership remains wary of the U.S., viewing Washington as the main barrier to its global plans. Wang’s talks with Kallas, described by EU officials as lectures on Western hypocrisy, show China’s irritation at U.S. sanctions and trade rules. Beijing sees these restrictions as moves to limit China’s growth, from tariffs to controls on rare earth exports, which Wang brushed off during the meeting.

China’s alignment with Russia over Taiwan and the South China Sea underlines its strategy. Both countries challenge U.S. dominance in these areas. By making sure Russia remains strong, China looks to blunt American power globally, giving itself more room to grow. This thinking helps explain why Beijing does not want Russia to fail in Ukraine.

Wider Impact and Next Moves

Wang’s frank exchange with Kallas has unsettled European diplomats, exposing cracks in China’s supposed neutrality. EU leaders, caught off guard by his openness, now face tough choices ahead of a key EU-China summit later in July. China requested the summit be shortened, possibly due to trade disputes and new EU sanctions on Chinese banks accused of helping Russia.

For Ukraine, China’s stance feels like a fresh blow. Kyiv, already dealing with less U.S. support, now has to reckon with China’s quiet but meaningful role in helping Russia. The discovery of Chinese parts in Russian drones has only sharpened Ukraine’s criticism and strained its relationship with Beijing.

As the Ukraine war drags on, China’s slow and steady approach becomes clearer. By backing Russia just enough to keep the fight going, Beijing keeps the U.S. locked in Europe, buying itself time to build strength in Asia.

Wang Yi’s private words in Brussels lift the lid on this plan, showing a China that calls for peace in public but sees the war as a useful shield from its biggest rival. With America’s priorities shifting under Trump, the world is watching to see how this contest between great powers will change the global balance.

Sources: South China Morning Post