The Chinese Way of World Order-Making and Shaping: The Russo-Ukrainian War as a Test and an Opportunity

Xiangfeng YANG

doi:10.1080/10670564.2026.2622656

The Chinese Way of World Order-Making and Shaping: The Russo-Ukrainian War as a Test and an Opportunity

Xiangfeng YANG^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Department of Government and International Affairs

Research output: Journal Publications › Journal Article (refereed) › peer-review

Abstract

How has China responded to Russia’s war in Ukraine, and what does this reveal about its role in the international order? Moving beyond the ‘pro-Russia’ binary, this article examines China’s behavior across five domains : strategic surprise, refusal of lethal aid, economic support, nuclear opposition, and ceasefire-first diplomacy. Analysis shows China’s interest in the global balance of power supersedes its commitment to sovereignty and territorial integrity. The conflict serves as a stress test for Chinese statecraft, forcing a balance between preserving Russia as a counter-hegemonic partner and maintaining relations with Europe. Ultimately, China’s vision of order-making is instrumental: it prioritizes systemic power shifts over consistent international principles, except when defending its own claims regarding Taiwan.

Original language	English
Number of pages	16
Journal	Journal of Contemporary China
Early online date	28 Jan 2026
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/10670564.2026.2622656
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 28 Jan 2026

Bibliographical note

The author wishes to express his sincere gratitude to the editor, Professor Suisheng Zhao, for shepherding the review process in such an efficient and effective manner, and to the anonymous reviewers for their constructive feedback on earlier drafts of this article. He is also grateful to Yang Shuo for his superb research assistance, and to Wang Jianwei, SonDaekwon, and Joern Beissert for their insightful comments.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2026 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Funding

This research was supported by a Direct Grant and a Faculty Research Grant from Lingnan University.

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Keywords

International order
Realpolitik
Russo-Ukrainian war
Sino-European relations
Sino-Russian Relations
Sino-US Relations

Access to Document

10.1080/10670564.2026.2622656Licence: CC BY-NC-ND

Cite this

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The Chinese Way of World Order-Making and Shaping: The Russo-Ukrainian War as a Test and an Opportunity

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

UN SDGs

Keywords

Access to Document

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