China Signals Shift on Ukraine

Nikkei Asia: “China appears to be shifting its tone on the war in Ukraine, as Beijing counts the costs of defending a Russian ally accused of war crimes and braces for the economic fallout from Western-led sanctions.”

“On Tuesday, President Xi Jinping told his French and German counterparts that Beijing was ready to work with the international community to ‘prevent the tense situation from escalating, or even running out of control,’ in his strongest comments yet on the two-week-old invasion.”

“Hinting at China’s growing alarm over Russia’s invasion, Xi also called for ‘maximum restraint to prevent a large-scale humanitarian crisis,’ as the number of civilian casualties mount, including children.”

Meanwhile, CNBC reports CIA Director Burns says Xi and Chinese leadership are “unsettled” by blowback from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.