Xi Jinping is taking credit for stopping Vladimir Putin using nuclear weapons against Ukraine, according to reports.
The Chinese president warned his Russian counterpart not to go nuclear back in March during his state visit to Moscow.
It was one of Xi’s first trips outside of his home country since the zero-Covid policy was imposed in China.
The visit itself was instantly credited with reducing “the risk of nuclear war”, as Josep Borrell, the EU’s foreign policy chief said at the time, because Xi made it “very very clear” he didn’t want such escalation.
Now, a senior US administration official has told the Financial Times: “The Chinese are taking credit for sending the [anti-nuclear] message at every level.”
A former Chinese government official source also told the newspaper that Xi personally told Putin not to use nukes.
Russia has become increasingly reliant on China since invading Ukraine. It needs the country for its economy, having been heavily hit by Western sanctions over fossil fuels when Putin ordered his invasion of Ukraine.
China also agreed a bilateral trade deal with Russia worth $190 billion (£148 billion) last year – so Moscow needs to keep Xi sweet.
But, Beijing has not been a completely unwavering partner to Moscow.
Although Xi promised a “no limits” partnership with Putin in March, China is keen to build bridges with Europe – and so does not want to cause too much of a rift with nations allied with Ukraine.
Borell also claimed in March that Xi wants to “minimise” the risk of being associated with Russian military intervention, to avoid being drawn directly into the war.
Putin has held nuclear threats over both Kyiv’s and the West’s heads throughout the war, particularly when there’s a new wave of support in the form of investment or weapons from Europe or the US.
Putin also just moved tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus – and closer to the West – although these are lower-yield weapons meant for the battlefield rather than widespread attacks on civilisations.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed Russia has planted suspected explosives on Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station’s roof – prompting more concerns that Moscow could cause a major nuclear accident.
US president Joe Biden also warned last month that Putin’s threat of using nuclear weapons is “real”, although the US claimed at the time that it had seen no signs Russia was looking to use nuclear weapons any time soon.