China is "deeply worried" that the Ukraine conflict could spiral out of control, China's foreign minister Qin Gang said on Tuesday, and called on certain countries to stop "fuelling the fire".
Beijing, which last year struck a "no limits" partnership with Moscow, has refrained from condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The United States has warned of consequences if China provides military support to Russia, which Beijing says it is not doing.
"We urge certain countries to immediately stop fuelling the fire," Qin said during a speech, referring to the Ukraine conflict and in comments that appeared to be directed at the United States.
"We stand firmly against any form of hegemony, against any foreign interference in China's affairs," he said.
Read more: Vladimir Putin suffers relapse in health? To undergo treatment in March: Report
Also on Tuesday, China released a paper on the Global Security Initiative (GSI), President Xi Jinping's flagship security proposal which aims to uphold the principle of "indivisible security", a concept endorsed by Russia.
On Monday, China's top diplomat Wang Yi called for a negotiated settlement to the Ukraine war during a stopover in Hungary ahead of a visit to Moscow.
The same day, U.S. President Joe Biden made a surprise visit to Kyiv in a show of solidarity, promising $500 million worth of military aid to Ukraine and additional sanctions against Russian elites to be unveiled in full this week.
Beijing has refrained from condemning Moscow's operation against Ukraine or calling it an "invasion" in line with the Kremlin, which describes the war as a "special military operation" designed to protect Russia's own security.
Xi is expected to deliver a "peace speech" this week on the anniversary of the Feb. 24 Ukraine invasion.
[ad_2]
No comments:
Post a Comment