What's China's interest in Russia-Ukraine crisis & why is it opposing NATO's expansion?

Australia’s former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd had described that there is a “quantum shift” that happened in the bilateral relations of Russia and China, both of whom intend to dictate the rule-based international order. This is largely due to the two authoritarian and communist regime’s belief that the United States has abdicated. China, in a first, has come out against the NATO’s military expansion agendas, as Chinese President Xi Jinping issued direct commentary that the US and the NATO alliance must halt all military activities from the vicinity of the Russian territory, reiterating the ‘national security’ threat for Russia. 

US, West 'ideologised cold war approaches': China 

Whilst Moscow leader Vladimir Putin supported Beijing’s stance on Taiwan and the ‘One-China’ principle that affirms that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China, Beijing expressed concern about “the advancement of US plans to develop global missile defence and deployment of its elements in various regions of the world.” The two leaders joined forces during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to China during the 2022 ongoing Beijing Winter Olympics, as tensions escalated between Moscow and Kyiv at the contentious and volatile border. China is now publicly opposing any further enlargement of US-led NATO, and labelled the alliance as dangerous for world peace as it urged the US and the West to abandon its “ideologized Cold War approaches”.

In the more than 5,000-word joint statement issued by the two leaders, both Russia and China, the closest allies, denounced US interference in the internal matters of their countries. And with China vocal about its support to Russia as it has amassed close to 125,000 troops and weaponry on the border for Ukrainian invasion, there’s not only a realignment of geopolitics but a dangerous threat that China may now have the support of Russia to fulfil its similar ambitions over Taiwan. 

China's deepening ties with the Kremlin and its role in Moscow-Kyiv crisis

China is deepening its partnership with Moscow to push back against the US influence as it was “sympathetic to and supports” Russia’s security guarantee proposals on the Ukrainian crisis. China's foreign minister Wang Yi called Russia's security concerns "legitimate", saying they should be "taken seriously and addressed”. The Chinese ambassador to the UN, Zhang Jun also lambasted US and the European nations for asserting that Russia was a threat to the globe. “The ever-closer relationship and bond between China and Russia [that is] the last defence that protects the world order," as per a report by the Chinese government-affiliated paper Global Times on the Ukrainian Russia crisis.