China, which knew about the Russian invasion in advance, asked to postpone it until after the Olympics

"Chinese Government Official Requested in Early Last Month"

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] It has been revealed that China, after learning in advance about Russia's plan to invade Ukraine, requested that the war be delayed only until the end of the Beijing Winter Olympics.

The New York Times (NYT) reported on the 2nd (local time), citing U.S. and European intelligence officials, that "information was obtained indicating that a senior Chinese government official made such a request to the Russian government in early last month."

Russian President Vladimir Putin held a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on the 4th of last month, ahead of the Olympic opening ceremony. At that time, the two leaders issued a joint statement demanding a halt to the expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Whether President Putin and President Xi discussed the plan to invade Ukraine at that time has not been confirmed, but the NYT reported that the credibility of information that senior officials from both countries exchanged views regarding the Ukraine invasion is considerable.

In fact, President Putin ordered Russian troops to enter rebel-controlled areas in eastern Ukraine on the 21st of last month, the day after the Olympic closing ceremony, and launched a full-scale invasion on the 24th. U.S. and European government officials said, "It is hard to believe that the Russian military's invasion of Ukraine starting immediately after the Olympic closing ceremony is merely a coincidence."

The NYT explained, "It seems clear that China was aware of Russia's invasion plans in advance." On the other hand, Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in the U.S., raised his voice, calling it "baseless speculation" and saying, "(This claim) is intended to blame China and damage its image."

China has not stated its position on Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Last week at the United Nations Security Council, China neither opposed nor vetoed a resolution condemning Russia's invasion, instead abstaining.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.