Leaked talks between Putin and Xi Jinping: Chinese officials sacrificed their lives

The expert revealed the details of the scandalous publication: there will be a dangerous level of distrust

The Financial Times learned what Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping were talking about less than a month before the start of the military special operation in Ukraine. Where the journalists of the British newspaper got this information is unknown. Meanwhile, in China, such a concept as a state secret is developed more rigidly than in many other countries. It is worth recalling Xi Jinping’s reaction to the leaked conversation with the Canadian Prime Minister in the media. The President of the People’s Republic of China scolded Trudeau for making the details of their discussion public. According to the director of the Institute of Asian and African Studies at Moscow State University Alexei Maslov, it is unlikely that any Chinese official would risk his own life for the sake of those who want to create distrust between Russia and China.

– Although formally the laws in China and Russia are more or less similar, the responsibility of Chinese officials for disclosing state secrets is very high. How could journalists get such information?

– In the entire history of the new China, no one has ever seen any real leaks that have been confirmed and proven. Moreover, the February talks between the two leaders were absolutely closed. Calculating where the leak came from, if it really was, is very simple. After closed negotiations, the documents are drawn up in only one copy, copies are not made, electronic versions are not stored. If it is proved that the leak really was and that it was the fault of China, there will be only two explanations for this. The first option is hearing. Now a lot of “leaks” are published by Bloomberg, The New York Times. All in order to drive a wedge between Russia and China. The second option is that one of the Chinese officials decided to sacrifice his life and reveal the secret. In the truest sense of the word.

– Is that possible?

– This is unlikely, since there is no gain, and the loss can be very significant. Moreover, this “leak” is not very true. The tone of the Russian-Chinese talks is quite different in itself. It seems that all this text was adjusted to Western standards. In my opinion, this article is part of a larger campaign. The goal is to throw a series of disinformation and create distrust between Russia and China. For the same purpose, information is published that China plans to seize part of Russian territory in the Far East. Another example is the supply of weapons to Russia. The sources of such information are stable: three or four media outlets in the West. Then these “leaks” begin to spread bloggers.

– With the help of such “leaks” it is possible to spoil relations between countries?

– There are two levels of distrust. The first one is official. This is mistrust between the leadership of states. But there sit people absolutely rational and reasonable. They understand what is behind it. Most likely, the heads of state even exchange information on how to respond to such emissions. But there is distrust at the level of people’s diplomacy. All news is read by ordinary people and discussed at the household level. The idea that the heads of Russia and China are negotiating behind the people’s backs may creep into the minds of citizens. Bloggers and electronic media are already actively working here. At this level, you can generate a number of conflicts, and if you put pressure on this point, after some time there will be a result. This is the most dangerous level of distrust.