The CCP may intervene in the European war

Direct translation

Gordan Chang : The CCP may intervene in the European war, NATO needs to beware

Reporter : Chen Ting / Editor : Li Muen / https://cn.epochtimes.com/b5/24/7/13/n14289997.htm / Image : On 8 July 2023, in Bialowieza, Poland, a soldier stood next to an anti-tank barrier next to the metal wall on the border between Poland and Belarus. The week before, the Polish government announced that it would send 500 counter-terrorism police to the border with Belarus amid concerns that the Russian private army Wagner Group would move to Belarus after the recent abortive mutiny in Russia. (Omar Marques/Getty Images)

When NATO members gathered in Washington for a summit, the Chinese Communist Party and the Belarusian army launched a joint military exercise in Europe. Gordon Chang, a well-known expert on China issues, warned that this means that the CCP has posed a new threat to Europe, and NATO must be careful to prevent Beijing from further intervening in European wars.

Gordan Chang is a senior fellow at the New York think tank "Gatestone Institute". He wrote an article in "Newsweek" on Friday (12 July 2024) to analyze the latest military developments of the Chinese Communist Party security situation.

"Since the beginning of the conflict, China (the CCP) has provided everything to Russia except the army." Chang warned in the article that if the Russian army faces failure in Ukraine, the CCP may send troops to join the war just like Mao Zedong intervened in the Korean War.

"Everyone believes that China (the Chinese Communist Party) poses a threat to Asia. Now, the same is true for Europe." Zhang Jiadun said.

This 11-day joint exercise is called "Eagle Strike-2024." Zhang Jiadun pointed out that although both sides claimed that this was an "anti-terrorism exercise," there were signs that the two countries were practicing large-scale formation operations. The exercise takes place less than two miles from the border with NATO member Poland and only 17 miles from Ukraine.

Gordan Chang said frankly that at present, it seems "unlikely" that the People's Liberation Army of the Communist Party of China and the Russian army will fight side by side, and there is no friendship between the leaders of China and Russia. The Chinese Communist Party's sending troops to Belarus may even make Moscow angry and is seen as "making Belarus less dependent on Russia."

However, the ongoing exercises are a signal that China may be willing to encourage Belarus to intervene in the Russo-Ukrainian war.

"Belarus is actually a belligerent in the Ukrainian war." Gordan pointed out that at the beginning of the conflict, Belarus allowed the Russian army to use its territory to launch attacks on Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine.

In addition, in order to show his close relationship with Belarus, Putin will transfer the Iskander missile system capable of carrying nuclear warheads to it before the end of 2022. Last year, Russia shipped tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus.

"As stated in the "Washington Summit Declaration" issued by NATO on the 10th of this month, China (the Chinese Communist Party) has become the decisive promoter of Russia's war on Ukraine." Gordan Chang believes that NATO's view is correct. "Since the conflict began, China (Chinese Communist Party) has provided Russia with everything except its military.”

North Korea is China's only formal military ally, and there have been recent reports that North Korea may send combat engineers to assist Russian troops in Ukraine. North Korea and Russia also signed the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty last month, which includes mutual defense clauses.

Gordan Chang believes that North Korea relies heavily on Beijing's assistance, and the current level of dependence exceeds the level since the mid-1990s. Therefore, the CCP at least does not oppose North Korea's alliance with Russia.

"If the situation requires it, China (the CCP) can also send troops," Gordan Chang said. "Despite the tense relations between Beijing and Moscow, Xi Jinping obviously believes that he cannot let Russia fail. After all, Putin is the one partner who brought down the Western-led international order."

Gordan Chang believes that the CCP likes others to stand up for them, so Russia is indispensable to the CCP’s expansion plans. To this end, NATO and the United States need to be prepared for the possibility that the CCP will further intervene in Russian-led European wars in the future.