The Russian military intervention in Georgia has imparted a new tension in the Sino-Russian relationship. Earlier this month, the Chinese Foreign Ministry made the surprising suggestion that the United Nations could help resolve the Georgia crisis. Spokesperson Jiang Yu told reporters in Beijing that the U.N. might, "through dialogue and consultations . . . help achieve regional peace and stability and should embody the common ground of all the various parties." In previous U.N. Security Council (UNSC) sessions, the Chinese representative had adopted a low-key position while Russian and Western diplomats deadlocked over proposed UNSC resolutions to resolve their acrimonious differences over Georgia. Chinese officials now appear to fear that the continued Russian-Western dispute over Georgia risks weakening the UNSC itself. Beijing's elite rank as one of only five permanent Security Council members, and its resulting ability to veto proposed UNSC resolutions, serves as a major determinant of China's global influence and status. The Chinese government also supported last week's decision of the Asian Development Bank to grant Georgia a $40 million loan at the lowest possible rate. Beijing enjoys considerable influence over the bank's decisions, and any large-scale financial aid package would probably have required Chinese support.
Beijing-Moscow Rift Over Georgia War Deepens
