Abstract. The article offers a brief analysis of China’s official stance towards the geopolitical confrontation between Russia and the West in 2022–2024. On the basis of analysis of Chinese primary sources, it presents the evidence of the evolution and changes in China’s position in the years since the start of Russia’s special military operation, as compared to the preceding period. It is concluded that over the three-year period since 2022, China’s “neutrality” has taken a more friendly turn towards Russia. The article also reveals principal points of view in the Chinese expert community and society on the confrontation between Russia and the West, as well as on the role of China and the prospects of the country’s foreign policy in changing geopolitical landscape. Nuances and differences between Beijing’s official foreign policy course and the opinion of certain social groups and leading experts on the Russia–China and U.S.–China relations are shown. The author concludes that, while two opposite views on the Russia-U.S. confrontation and China’s role in it can be identified in China’s public discourse, the overall balance between these two approaches is gradually shifting in Russia’s favor.