On February 1st, around 1.5 billion Chinese around the world will celebrate the New Year and welcome the Year of the Tiger. According to Chinese astrology, 2022 could be a turbulent and conflict-ridden year – but at least the element of water has a dampening effect.
By Felix Lee
So far, China has not been involved in the current Ukraine crisis between Russia and the West. But Beijing is monitoring the situation very closely. How China will react in the event of an escalation is uncertain. China and Russia have grown closer in recent years. But they have not yet formed a military alliance. For the time being, the leadership is primarily concerned with one thing: smooth Winter Olympics.
By Christiane Kuehl
The EU announces a billion-euro aid package for Ukraine and reaffirms its determination to impose sanctions quickly in the event of an attack. However, a complete exclusion of Russia from the Swift banking system is apparently off the table.
By Eric Bonse