On November 14, Senior Colonel (ret.) Zhou Bo, senior fellow at the Center for International Security and Strategy of Tsinghua University and China Forum expert, spoke at Panel 5 “Alignments and Realignments in the International Order: China” of the 9th Abu Dhabi Strategic Debate and answered questions of the moderator Ahmed Abu Douh, head of the China Studies Unit at the Emirates Policy Center, on China’s position on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Taiwan, and its military modernization.

China has always maintained impartiality and neutrality on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, said Zhou, adding that it has repeatedly provided humanitarian aid to Ukraine, but has not provided any military assistance to Russia, unlike what was first speculated. China wants to see a balanced, effective and sustainable security framework in Europe, and resolutely opposes the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons. Zhou also stressed that the Taiwan question is an internal affair of China, which is essentially different from the Russia-Ukraine conflict and has been played up to exert pressure on Beijing, which, in fact, has never had a timetable for reunification and would only use force as its last resort to prevent Taiwan independence. Shouldering enormous tasks to safeguard the country’s territorial integrity and overseas interests and to fulfill its responsibilities as a major power, the Chinese military must strive towards modernization.

Abu Dhabi Strategic Debate, the most influential forum in the Middle East, has gathered more than 800 prominent experts, scholars, and policymakers this year.