The propagandists stepped up their support for the Chinese government and its leader Xi Jinping after a visit to Moscow. Allegedly, China has a specific plan for reconciliation between Russia and Ukraine, and it is the best possible solution to the situation. Detector Media analyzed the materials of the Russian media and identified several narratives regarding the role of China in the war against Ukraine.

1. China must make a revolution in Ukraine, but for this it must destroy the West with its military force.

Propagandists claim that there is no point in allegedly talking about peace with the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi, since he is a US puppet. In the United States, the alleged goal is not peace, but world rule, because for the security of the United States it should be dangerous in all other states. Thus, the propagandists are trying to devalue the Ukrainian government and the efforts of the West with the help of Ukraine. Like, anyone can decide the fate of Ukraine, except for the Ukrainians themselves, because they are not capable of it. In addition to this, the authors of such reports repeat Soviet narratives regarding the “external enemy” who wants to destroy the whole world and the “heroic” USSR, which “protects” the world from total catastrophe.

2. Negotiations with Russia on the initiative of China on a truce in Ukraine is a defeat for the United States. They will lose in this way to both China and Russia.

Propagandists once again attribute imaginary achievements to Russia. However, experience shows that China is using the war against Ukraine to its advantage and views Russia as one of its sides, while distancing itself from the war in the public arena. In addition, the authors of such reports argue that if China succeeds in realizing its peace plan, the internal disintegration of the United States will begin. In this case, we can talk about fiction and wishful thinking.

3. China's goal in mediation is a moral victory over the US

Propagandists are trying to devalue the West and its power by describing China's “peace plan” as the doctrine of a new world order, echoing Volodymyr Putin's “multipolar world” narratives. This, in their opinion, is the “trap for the United States”. In addition, Russian propaganda in this regard uses one of the main tactics of Soviet propaganda, putting pressure on the “moral decline” of the West and the “spiritual upsurge” of the USSR, and in this case, friendly communist China.

The experience of relatively recent military conflicts in the world shows that mediation is a delicate process that requires the readiness of the mediator country for flexibility and detailed work to resolve the conflict. It is too early to talk about China as a mediator - the fact of the presentation of a peace plan does not necessarily mean a readiness for such a role. Therefore, we are again dealing with the substitution of concepts in the performance of Russian propagandists.