Ukraine has drawn up a list of 70 foreign academics whose statements about the war are considered unreliable. One of them is professor of international relations at Aalborg University, Li Xing.
Although Professor Li Xing has a Chinese background, he has been a researcher at Aalborg University for ten years.
His area of expertise is mainly Chinese-related topics. On his website, he mentioned Russia-Ukraine relations in an article about the joint statement between China and Russia in March this year.
New world order
In the article, Professor Li refers to the joint China-Russia Joint Statement as marking a “new era” in the world’s movement towards multipolarity – a new order in which the US-led West is no longer the sole rule-maker. He also analyzes the special importance of the Sino-Russian alliance in stopping the Nordic expansion.
“The document claims that NATO’s plan to expand its membership to encircle Russia will bring security to the West, but it is a danger to Russia. It is a national security issue,” he wrote.
He believes that this statement has important consequences for the war in Ukraine.
A violation of academic freedom?
Professor Li refused to accept the Ukrainian authorities’ criticism.
“I’m not pro-Russian. I’m just saying the war has a long history,” he told the university’s official newspaper.
Aalborg University has also defended him and emphasized the importance of freedom of speech for academics, provided that their opinions are based on sound science and objectivity.
Source: The Nordic Page