China's Convenient Denials: What's Behind Beijing's Claims on Putin and Ukraine? China's foreign ministry has denied reports that President Xi Jinping warned Vladimir Putin about regretting his invasion of Ukraine.
The claim, made by the Financial Times, was based on a conversation between Xi and Donald Trump during their talks in Beijing.
This denial is consistent with China's pattern of reflexive denials, which have become as well known as Putin's machinations in Ukraine. However, it's worth examining what lies behind this convenient claim.