China’s support for Russia ‘very troubling’, says US ambassador as anniversary of Ukraine war looms

“China’s silence on the existential issue of Ukrainian sovereignty and independence is deafening. Its support to Russia is very troubling indeed.”

China and Russia announced a “no-limits” partnership just days before Russia invaded in February 2022.

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In October, when President Vladimir Putin visited China, his counterpart Xi Jinping vowed to defend “fairness and justice and push forward the common development of the world” with Russia.

Beijing has repeatedly denied accusations that Chinese companies have been supplying weapons and other equipment to help Russia’s war effort, but this week saw three companies from mainland China and one from Hong Kong being blacklisted by the European Union.

Last week, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi repeated Beijing’s denials, telling his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba that China “does not sell lethal weapons to conflict areas or parties to conflicts”.

Burns was speaking at an event jointly organised by the Polish, Ukrainian and European Union embassies in Beijing.

Britain’s ambassador Caroline Wilson told the event that Beijing’s “actions need to match [its] words” and expressed concern about the “diplomatic and practical support” for Moscow that was “sustaining Russia’s war effort”.

“China needs to stop such support and China needs to hear Ukraine’s voice,” she said, arguing it needed to engage with Kyiv more closely than it has done up until now.

Wilson also told the event: “China needs to meaningfully engage as well with Ukraine’s peace efforts.

“Russia sought to isolate Ukraine but Putin’s invasion has done precisely the opposite. One thing is very, very clear from today, that Ukraine is far from alone.”

Ukraine’s ambassador Pavlo Riabikin appealed to other countries to take part in a peace conference his country is organising with the help of Switzerland.

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“To protect peace, guarantee [the] implementation of the UN Charter and the rule of law, we have to stand united. Only together, can we stop the war and bring peace,” Riabikin said.

Earlier this month Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis said he had sought Chinese help with the peace conference, adding that he had been given clear indications during a trip to China that his hosts wanted the war to end.

South China Morning Post