So, Zelensky finally got the phone call from Xi Jinping that he’s been “begging” for (Alex Christoforou’s choice of words), and the guys at The Duran had a brief, for them, discussion of what it all means—fifteen and a half minutes. As Alexander Mercouris was quick to point out, Zelensky receiving a call from Xi means Zelensky and Ukraine must rank ahead of the Zhou regime—after all, Xi is still not taking calls from Zhou, Blinken isn’t allowed in Beijing, and the Chinese won't pick up the phone when Lloyd Austin calls.
My assumption has been that the people behind this push for Zelensky and Xi to talk are the Neocons, who may have been hoping to use some sort of judo move to manufacture some distance between Russia and China. If so, it looks like a major backfire.
China has consistently called for peace, of course, and has also expressed concern for respecting the sovereignty of nations. That is probably the angle that the Neocons were hoping that Zelensky could use with Xi but, if so, Xi was ready. He basically unloaded on Zelensky. A summary of Mercouris’ comments runs like this:
Xi told Zelensky that the China - Ukraine relationship is based on mutual agreement on topics like sovereignty, and he warned Zelensky not to even think about supporting the US position on Taiwan.
Then he told Zelensky that Ukraine needs talk to the Russians and to understand that peace in Ukraine can only occur within “a larger reorganization of the strategic landscape in Europe.” That, of course, is exactly the demand that Putin made in his proposed draft treaties that he offered to the collective West in December, 2021--there must be “a new security framework for Europe.” In other words, Xi told Zelensky that China can help Ukraine, but Ukraine has to stop following the US war line and deal with reality as defined by Russia.
Boom. That was it. Xi was taking no guff from the hapless ex-comedian Zelensky.
But it gets worse—for the US. Apparently, in the Chinese readout of the phone call, Xi stated that Chinese diplomats would be pushing these ideas with European powers: Germany, France, Italy. These are countries who major export market is China, and China clearly intends to leverage that fact to persuade those countries to reevaluate their relationship with the US. The Zhou regime is getting out maneuvered at every turn by China and Russia, and China won’t take the regime’s phone calls, much less receive them in Beijing. Well played, Neocons. No doubt the US Deep State observed this display of regime diplomatic incompetence with dismay.
My belief is that something will have to give, sooner or later.
Be Careful What You Wish For
“Xi stated that Chinese diplomats would be pushing these ideas with European powers: Germany, France, Italy. These are countries who major export market is China…” (Mercouris)
It would be interesting to be a fly on the wall when Xi calls Macron and the other Euros: “what was that you said the other day about strategic autonomy?” If Macron ever thought he’d have some leverage over Putin, he’s met his match now. Let’s just hope Xi can hear his response - M has had to travel with a generator truck to give speeches because the EDF (electricity unions) keep cutting the power (!) everywhere he goes…but seriously, the Chinese are light-years ahead of the ludicrously incompetent bunch in DC.
I think Z called Xi, for some rejected ambassador issue. Xi didn't call him.