Protagonist of an increasingly close alliance with the Russians, China on Wednesday criticized the United States for what it described as “throwing fuel on the fire” of the crisis in Eastern Europe, around the Ukrainian borders. .
The comment, made by a spokeswoman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, comes a day after the Joe Biden government announced new sanctions against Moscow over recognition of two self-proclaimed Russian breakaway republics in eastern Ukraine. For more than a month, Washington has been trumpeting that an invasion of the country is imminent.
“The United States has not stopped selling weapons to Ukraine, increasing tension and creating panic,” Hua Chunying told local reporters. “Someone who adds fuel to the fire and accuses others assumes an immoral and irresponsible posture.”
Asked about the possibility that China could impose sanctions on the Russians in retaliation for the advance through Ukrainian territory, as did not only the US, but also European countries, Japan and Australia, she ruled out any chances. “[Sanções] have never been an effective form of conflict resolution,” he said.
The lines slightly raise the tone of Chinese diplomacy in relation to the conflict. Beijing had issued a discreet statement urging everyone involved in the confusion to be restrained. When the United Nations Security Council met last Monday (21), the Chinese representation limited itself to saying that Beijing welcomes and encourages all efforts towards a diplomatic solution to the crisis.
Already on Tuesday (22), during a press conference, another Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that China was closely monitoring the evolution of the situation in Ukraine and that the country’s position is one of respect for the security concerns of any nation. “The situation in Ukraine is getting worse, and China once again urges all parties to exercise restraint and resolve differences with dialogue.”
Wang Wenbin, the spokesman for the occasion, also said that the conflict in the region is directly related to the delay in the effective implementation of the 2015 Minsk 2 agreement, which presented a formula designed to reintegrate Russian-backed separatist regions into Ukraine. .
