PCR Foreign Minister's statement that PCR doesn't want russia to lose in Ukraine contradicts Beijing's public position – ISW

The statement of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China (PRC) Wang Yi that the PRC does not want russia to lose in Ukraine contradicts Beijing's public statements about neutrality in the war.

This is stated in the russian Offensive Campaign Assessment by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) as of July 9, 2025, the Ukrainian News agency reports.

It is noted that the representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China Mao Ning did not confirm or deny the information that Wang Yi made a similar statement. She only repeated that "China is not a party to the Ukrainian issue" and that Beijing advocates a diplomatic solution.

"Wang's comments suggest that Beijing sees Russia's war in Ukraine as a way to distract the West from the Indo-Pacific, which Russia can achieve either by continuing the war or by decisively winning and threatening NATO from a new position of strength on a more preferable frontline," analysts believe.

At the same time, they add that, according to a representative of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, continuing the war is not in the interests of either side, which contradicts the suggestion in Wang Yi's comments that Beijing may use the war in Ukraine to distract the West for as long as possible.