China Envoy: Presidents Zelensky and Xi haven't spoken yet, but it doesn't mean China supports russia in war
Photo: Chinese Ambassador to the EU Fu Cong (Getty Images)
China's ambassador to the European Union, Fu Cong, called China's and russia's joint statement last year declaring "no limits" to their countries' friendship "nothing but rhetoric."
The New York Times reports, citing their interview with Fu Cong ahead of the European diplomatic mission to Beijing. RBC reports, citing the statement of the russian dictator's press secretary, dmitry peskov.
A Chinese diplomat said that China was not on russia's side in the war, adding that some people deliberately misinterpreted the declaration of "no limit friendship" signed on the eve of a full-scale invasion of Ukraine between the People's Republic of China and the russian federation.
According to the NYT, Fu Cong stressed that the ties between the countries might not be as limitless as their leaders once claimed.
"'No limit' is nothing but rhetoric," the Chinese ambassador to the EU stressed.
The People's Republic of China diplomat noted that China does not recognize russia's efforts to seize Ukrainian territories, including Crimea and Donbas. He also said that the People's Republic of China had not provided military aid to russia.
Besides, Cong explained, Beijing did not condemn the invasion because it understood russia's claims of a defensive war against NATO encroachments and because his government believes "the root causes are more complicated" than Western leaders say.
As the Chinese diplomat insists, the fact that Xi Jinping has not yet called Volodymyr Zelensky is not of great importance. According to him, there is frequent contact between Ukraine and the People's Republic of China at a lower level.
"I know people are fixated on the presidential call," Mr. Fu said. "The fact that President Xi is not speaking to Zelensky does not signify that China is on the side of russia on the Ukrainian issue."
In turn, the press secretary of russian dictator putin, peskov, commented on the Chinese diplomat's statement. He said that the Kremlin is focused on the "content and spirit of the contacts" between vladimir putin and Xi Jinping in Moscow.
They, in his words, "fully cover the entire range of issues that are on the common agenda."
Reference
The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, will go to China, where they plan to meet with Xi Jinping.
At the same time, the media assumed that Macron held talks with Biden before the visit. The leaders probably want to involve China in ending the war in Ukraine.
