How China's Ukraine stance may be final straw for eastern EU countries

Criticised by Western leaders for its neutral stance over Russia’s aggression on Ukraine, China sought to limit the damage with central and eastern Europan nations this week but it might already be too late, experts have told Euronews.

Huo Yuzhen, Beijing’s special representative for the China-Central and Eastern Europe Investment Cooperation Fund (CEEC), toured eight countries in the region -- the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia, and Poland — this week.

Ostensibly, the trip was to promote further cooperation but it also came as Beijing continues to claim neutrality over the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Beijing has so far refused to condemn Moscow for its military aggression and reaffirmed its commitment to a solid bilateral relationship. Sanctions are for now also out of the equation.

US intelligence claims Russia has asked China for military and economic assistance, prompting Western countries — which have slapped five rounds of sanctions on Russia for the invasion — to issue warnings against doing so.

An EU-China summit earlier this month, where Beijing had hoped to stick to the planned pre-war agenda focusing on bilateral relations and efforts to tackle climate change, was overshadowed by Ukraine with Brussels chief Ursula von der Leyen stressing the events in Ukraine “is not only a defining moment for our continent, but it is also a defining moment for our relationship with the rest of the world".

She added that as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China “has a very special responsibility” and that any support to Russia’s ability to wage war “would lead to a major reputational damage for China here in Europe.”

The reputational damage appears to have started.

“China’s siding