The conflict in Ukraine has changed our world forever. With Russia entangled in a costly war and Europe heading for a cold winter, the Ukraine crisis has disrupted the international balance of power and the everyday life of people throughout the world. A crucial yet underdiscussed aspect of the crisis is China’s role in it. Mixed signals are coming from Beijing. China has refrained from providing weapons to its geopolitical ally, but also defied western calls to cut trade relations with Russia. China has voted in line with Russia at the United Nations on the subject, but also expressed disapproval at President Putin’s nuclear threats. 

What exactly is China’s role in the Ukraine crisis? We invited scholars and experts from the UK, the US and China to share and discuss. 

The Event will be on Zoom

Speakers: 

Professor Todd Hall

Todd Hall is professor in International Relations at the Department of Politics and International Relations and the Director of the University of Oxford China Centre. His research expertise includes the international relations of East Asia, with a specific focus on the foreign policy of China, and theorising the role of emotions and affect in international politics. 

Ms. Kayla Blomquist

Kayla Blomquist is the co-director of the China Policy Lab at the University of Oxford. Her current research focuses on the PRC’s emerging AI governance model at the Oxford Internet Institute and Balliol College. Prior to Oxford, she worked as a diplomat in the U.S. Mission to China for 4 years, where she specialised in the governance of emerging technologies, human rights, and improving the use of new technology within government services. 

Mr. Einar Tangen 

Einar Tangen  is a senior fellow at the Beijing-based think tank Taihe Institute. He worked at state-level commissions in various US states before becoming a political and economic affairs commentator for BBC and CGTN. Widely regarded as an expert on Chinese political economy, he is one of the prominent voices of China in international media,