So much for China's claims to be a global peacemaker or even just a responsible big state that could one day replace the decaying Pax Americana with Pax Sinica.. Recent statements by Chinese diplomats should remind everyone that a world in which Zhongnanhai autocrats maintain international order will be a dystopian one.. This message should especially be heard by those leaders of the Global South who still succumb to the temptation to maneuver between Washington, Beijing and Moscow..

Andreas Kluth, former editor-in-chief of the German publication Handelsblatt Global and political commentator, writes about this in an article for Bloomberg.. He recalls that just last week, Chinese Ambassador to France Lu Shei was giving a long television interview in very good French when he began to creatively rethink the status of Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula that President Vladimir Putin illegally annexed in 2014..

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\? But Lu Shay was just warming up. Regarding the countries formerly part of the Soviet Union, he clarified that they “have no effective status under international law”, since, in his opinion, there is no treaty confirming their sovereignty. Thus, in one fell swoop, the Chinese ambassador questioned the right to exist not only of Ukraine, Georgia or Moldova, but also NATO members such as Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, and even countries bordering China, such as Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.. Lu Shei did not specify whether he also doubted the sovereignty of Russia, the largest post-Soviet state.. If so, he certainly should have added his opinion on whether Moscow deserves its seat on the UN Security Council,” Kluth comments..

Subsequently, the Chinese Foreign Ministry declined to comment from its ambassador to France, saying that Beijing respects the independence of the post-Soviet countries.. But Lushei's improvisation fits into the pattern of such Chinese blunders..

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Earlier this month, Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu joined Putin at one of the huge Kremlin tables.. In his flattery, he went so far as to say that the Russian autocrat has allegedly become an " This comes as a surprise to the judges at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, who just last month issued an arrest warrant for Putin on war crimes charges.. And also for the hundreds of thousands of those killed, maimed or abducted and the millions of those who were forced to leave their homes as a result of the Kremlin's aggression..

These diplomatic Chinese ploys are also notable in that Chinese leader Xi Jinping has shown in recent years a desire to take on more international responsibility or, conversely, end Beijing's often infantile indulgence.. This style even had a name: “wolf warrior diplomacy”. Lu Shei was also a proud wolf warrior until Xi Jinping sent a note not to overdo his fangs.

This is because the leader of China, who seems to be in power forever, wants to show the world his ability to do what only the US has been able to do before: ensure global order.. His advantage in this pursuit is that the Chinese have access to many powerful people who hate the US and therefore do not want to talk to the Americans.. This could explain how China achieved rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia last month..

“But the main theater of diplomatic operations now is Ukraine. Therefore, Xi Jinping has something to say about this situation as well.. Shortly before his fraternization with Putin last month, Beijing released a 12-point list called a peace plan.. However, oddly enough, Xi Jinping still hasn't bothered to discuss it with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky..

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In his opinion, one of the reasons may be that Chinese diplomacy cannot convincingly overcome its own contradictions.. The key points of Xi Jinping's peace plan are the rhetorical emphasis on " This has always been a slogan in mainland China telling the US and its allies to stay out of the Taiwan conflict.. Because Beijing considers the island a " So, in the conflict with Taipei, he allegedly defends his sovereignty. But until recently, the PRC has also consistently stood for the integrity of other countries, including Ukraine..

“It appears that this principled position is now a matter of negotiation.. As Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin craft their new pacts, their motivation obviously has nothing to do with world peace or international order.. In turn, it stems from their shared dissatisfaction with American geopolitical power and European economic power.. Xi, like Putin, would like to divide the world and the West in order to rise to global dominance,” Kluth said..

Therefore, the target audience of Beijing diplomacy is shaky Western leaders such as French President Emmanuel Macron.. After returning from a trip to China, he reflected that Europe should not become a "

“This meant that Macron, for example, would consider remaining neutral in this conflict, in much the same way that many countries in Asia, Africa or South America are now pulling back and resigning themselves to the invasion of Ukraine.. Xi Jinping seemed to be delighted. Not to mention that the Chinese ambassador in Paris put Macron in his place,” the article says..

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But the Global South has become an even bigger audience for Xi Jinping and Putin.. Beijing is aware that much of the world, like China, once suffered from Western colonialism and is unhappy with American or European hypocrisy about human rights, democracy, and “values” in general.. Beijing offers to do business with him without unnecessary " And even better - you can defeat Washington together.

The US, Europe, and the entire West should take these long-standing grievances of the Global South seriously.. But people in these countries would also act foolishly if they went after the Beijing rat catchers out of sheer malice..

“The world order today is fragile, and wars, including nuclear ones, are becoming more and more likely. The main reason is neo-imperialist aggression, like Putin’s, backed up by cynicism, like Xi Jinping. Thanks to Ambassador Lu Shei and Minister Li Shangfu for making this clear."