China abstained on Thursday as the UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly in favour of a resolution that blamed Russia for the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and called for an immediate ceasefire. It also chose not to vote yes or no on a similar resolution earlier this month.

The measure - calling for the protection of millions of civilians along with their homes, schools and hospitals - was met with loud applause at its passage. It received 140 favourable votes, with only Russia, Belarus, Syria, North Korea and Eritrea opposing it and 38 nations abstaining.

“A strong majority of UN member states made clear that Russia - Russia - bears sole responsibility for the grave humanitarian crisis and violence in Ukraine,” said US ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield, calling the vote “an astounding success”. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin will not see victory in Ukraine, she added. “And we heard today that he will not see it here in New York either.”

In something of a battle of competing measures, another General Assembly resolution sponsored by South Africa and co-sponsored by China was dropped after the first resolution passed.

Among the major differences between the two was that the dropped resolution made no mention of Russia’s role in the humanitarian crisis. It also said that humanitarian aid should be routed through the UN, a concern for aid groups who fear Moscow could use its clout to determine how supplies are allocated.

In a speech in support of its version at a General Assembly emergency session on Thursday, Chinese Ambassador Zhang Jun said the legitimate security concerns of all countries should be taken seriously in keeping with principles of humanity, neutrality and impartiality “to prevent the politicisation of humanitarian issues”.

The South African version “is more conducive to promoting the unity of the UN membership and to opening the door for further dialogue”, Zhang added.

Analysts said China’s UN voting stance has mirrored its broader geopolitical approach to the war as it has tried to walk a fine line in the face of global outrage - supporting Russia without offending too directly the major export markets it depends on.

Thursday’s duelling General Assembly measures - which are nonbinding but important reflections of international opinion - follow a Security Council resolution on Wednesday that was sponsored by Russia and received China’s outright support. In that case, only Russia and China voted in favour with the remaining 13 members in the 15-member Security Council abstaining.

That resolution did not mention Moscow’s role in the invasion, which has turned more than 3 million Ukrainians into refugees and killed or injured thousands.

Some 10 million Ukrainians - a quarter of the nation’s population - have been forced from their homes, with 12 million in need of aid and 5.6 million children unable to attend school, according to the UN.

On March 2, China abstained on a General Assembly resolution that called for an immediate end to hostilities and the withdrawal of all Russian forces.

While China has signalled strong opposition to any major UN structural change supported by the West, such as stripping Russia of its Security Council seat, it has not lent its substantial clout in most other cases.

“China has indicated it will stand by Russia as a last resort, but it’s not going out of its way to help Russia in the UN,” said Richard Gowan, UN director with the International Crisis Group. “China has abstained on all resolutions on Ukraine except for yesterday at the Security Council. China sort of threw Russia a bone by supporting its no-hope resolution yesterday.”

And while China supported the South African resolution, it could have done more to build support, Gowan added. “South Africa worked flat-out for its resolution today. We haven’t seen a lot of energy from the Chinese,” he said. “I think Beijing is biding its time.”

Behind UN lobbying, arguments over small word differences and horse trading are significant, some said.

“With the South Africa resolution, they said their resolution doesn’t politicise the situation. But that’s one of the words they use all the time at the UN, particularly Russia and China, which doesn’t have any meaning other than ‘I don’t like it’,” said Louis Charbonneau, UN director with Human Rights Watch.

“Russia is bombing schools, kindergartens, residential buildings, this is what’s causing the humanitarian nightmare. To refer to ‘all parties’ as though they have nothing to do with it, it makes no sense.”

Analysts said South Africa supported the pro-Russia resolution in part because of Moscow’s aid and support to the continent. In addition, they added, many African nations feel that the squeeze put on Russia, including sanctions and Nato military deployment, mirror those that Western countries display in its dealings with Africa.

There have been significant differences between the Russian-backed Security Council resolution and China’s speeches at the UN, said Charbonneau, including Beijing’s stated respect for the sovereignty of all players, including Ukraine, and its call for the cessation of hostilities.

China has been happy to support Russia’s call for a rollback of Nato, which it sees as a parallel to the growing military muscle displayed by the US and its allies in the Pacific, Gowan said. But it is disquieted by the criticism of Russia by members of the so-called non-aligned nations - those not formally part of any major power bloc - from which it receives much of its own UN support.

Said Gowan: “I don’t think China enjoys being seen as an accomplice to a war that’s not exactly making Russia your military partner of choice.”

 - SCMP