By Rikard Jozwiak

Publicly, Beijing has presented itself as a neutral party in the war sparked by Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, claiming it respects the territorial integrity of Ukraine while also highlighting the need to address Russia's security concerns.

But behind the scenes, that may be changing.

According to EU officials speaking to RFE/RL on condition of anonymity, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas last week that Beijing couldn't accept Russia's defeat in the war as it would free up Washington to focus on China.

The remarkable admission, first reported by the South China Morning Post, came during a four-hour long discussion with Kallas in Brussels that covered an array of topics from trade practices such as state subsidies for electric vehicles, Taiwan, the situation in the Middle East and, of course, the war in Ukraine.

It was during those talks that Brussels accused China of siding with Moscow and noting that the invasion of a sovereign country was against international law.

Beijing allegedly voiced objections to the EU’s allegations that Russia is using Chinese products and other components in its war effort before adding its fear of both potential western sanctions against Chinese financial institutions and an eventual Ukrainian victory in the conflict.

Signs of Brussels' displeasure with China over the war have been piling up.

In May, a classified EU report said China, including Hong Kong, is responsible for "approximately" 80 percent of the circumventions of sanctions against Russia.

The 27-member bloc has also begun targeting Chinese companies it believes are responsible for the “undermining of Ukrainian territorial integrity and sovereignty.”

In its latest sanctions package, the bloc is looking to slap asset freezes and visa bans on one Chinese businessman for repeatedly transferring goods made in the EU to Russia while those goods were subject to EU export restrictions.

Two Chinese companies are also targeted for selling all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), infrared detectors, and other optical components to the Russian armed forces for use in Ukraine.

Another sign of the growing concern in Brussels came from NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who recently said China and Russia present growing threats to the transatlantic alliance.

Rutte told reporters during a trip to Berlin that he believes Russia and China would coordinate attacks on Taiwan and Europe to keep the West bogged down in various parts of the world at the same time.

“Xi Jinping, the president of China, before he would attack Taiwan, he will first make a call into Moscow to ask [Russian President Vladimir] Putin to keep us busy in this part of Europe,” Rutte said.

China and Russia struck a so-called “no limits strategic partnership” shortly before the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The partnership does not include a formal military alliance or a specific commitment to mutual defense, but it does involve extensive military cooperation and strategic alignment that enhances both countries' security interests.

Still, Beijing publicly has been keen to distance itself from Russia’s actions.

Speaking after Wang’s European trip, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson reiterated that “China’s position on the Ukraine crisis is objective and consistent, that is, negotiation, ceasefire and peace. A prolonged Ukraine crisis serves no one’s interests.”

Analysts, though, are focused on other recently spoken words by officials from Beijing.

Speaking to Current Time, Russian political scientist Natalia Shevshkova noted comments from Wang after his recent European tour were a sign that Beijing has “grown bolder” in its rhetoric to where "it’s no longer Eastern diplomacy, but rather outright, almost rude behavior."

"China understands that if Putin is now allowed to recognize -- if he's allowed to keep Crimea, if the Western community is ready to negotiate and leave some territories with Putin, then China’s hands are untied too,” Shevshkova said. (RFE/RL/RS)