China’s special envoy for European affairs, Wu Hongbo, defended China’s strong ties with Russia and refuted Western allegations of its involvement in the Ukraine crisis.
What Happened: Wu, in an interview with The Paper, a state-owned news outlet in Shanghai, asserted that it was unjust for the West to hold China accountable for resolving the Ukraine conflict, the South China Morning Post reported on Friday.
"China is not the creator or party to the Ukraine crisis. It has not added fuel to the fire or taken advantage of the situation," he said.
"It is unfair to place the responsibility of resolving the crisis on China.”
Wu also praised the European Union’s commitment to “strategic independence” and suggested that Europe should strengthen its autonomy in the face of global turbulence and change.
He highlighted the EU’s autonomy through its efforts to advance relations with China without being controlled by a third party, stating that the majority of European states value China.
Wu added that China was "committed to promoting peace and talks, and promoting a political solution to the crisis" and denied the supplying of arms to any warring party. He also said the country has strictly controlled the export of items which can be used for both civilian and military applications.
Why It Matters: This statement from China’s special envoy comes at a time when the U.S. is considering sanctions on Beijing banks for their alleged role in Russia’s war in Ukraine.
It also follows the recent announcement of a peace plan backed by Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, which was proposed by China. This interview further underscores the close alignment of China and Russia’s stance on the Ukraine crisis, as recently reaffirmed by Putun and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
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Image by Elif Bayraktar via Shutterstock
This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Pooja Rajkumari
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