Beijing calls criticism of aid to Russia unfair and denies arms supply
China denies supplying arms to Moscow (Getty Images)
China does not sell lethal weapons to parties involved in armed conflicts. Criticism of Beijing's assistance to Moscow is deemed unjustified, according to China's ambassador to Switzerland, Wang Shihting.
"I consider this criticism of China unjustified and very unfair. From the very beginning of the conflict, China has always supported peaceful negotiations," he said.
According to him, the head of the PRC, Xi Jinping, "has spoken several times on the phone with Russian President Putin and Ukrainian President Zelenskнy." In addition, discussions have taken place with US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
He reminded of the meeting of China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba at the Munich Security Conference. In particular, Wang Yi said that "China does not sell lethal weapons to conflict regions and parties involved".
"China actively promotes peaceful negotiations from the very beginning of the crisis. We sincerely hope that the world will soon be restored, and an objective solution will be found quickly," he said.
China's stance
Beijing has provided diplomatic and economic support to Russia since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Trade between the countries has sharply increased, and Moscow circumvents Western sanctions with Beijing's help.
According to a survey by the Rating group, in February 2024, China moved into the category of unfriendly countries: 58% of Ukrainians consider China hostile, compared to 34% in June of last year, while 52% considered it neutral.
