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China's stance in the Ukraine crisis appears to be shifting. Before the Beijing Olympics Presidents Putin and Xi Jinping declared that that the friendship between Russia and China had “no limits”. However, on Tuesday, China said it was extremely concerned about the harm to civilians inflicted by the invasion. In its public pronouncements, the Chinese government has urged all sides to de-escalate tensions in Ukraine. Yun Sun from the Stimson Centre in the US, says that that concern is over the invasion's escalation and the potential for a war of attrition, which could lead to longterm instability. Ukraine has close trading ties with China - engines for China's aviation industry are made there, and they have close technology partnerships too. However, she thinks it unlikely that China would step in as a peacemaker, as their primary relationship is with Moscow, and that in some respects, with the US distracted by a war in Europe, it could support their geo-political ambitions. Photo: Presidents Putin and Xi Jinping meet, 4 Feb 2022 Credit: EPA