Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying on February 23 slammed the U.S. as
"the culprit of current tensions" and criticized Washington for sending weapons to Ukraine. At
the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs press briefing on February 23, spokesperson Hua
Chunying denounced Western actions—she called the United States “the culprit of current
tensions surrounding Ukraine”—and seemed to tacitly support Russia. At a packed daily
briefing the next day (February 24), Hua Chunying told a reporter when asked about the
invasion: "You are using a typical Western media question method of using the word 'invasion'.
China is closely monitoring the latest situation. We call on all sides to exercise restraint to
prevent the situation from getting out of control."
Earlier, the South China Morning Post (February 18) said that Zhang Jun, China’s Permanent
Representative to the United Nations, had blamed NATO expansions for the ongoing tensions
between Russia and Ukraine at a Security Council meeting on February 17. It quoted him
saying "Everything happens for a reason. NATO enlargement is an issue that cannot be
overlooked when dealing with the current tensions related to Ukraine. NATO’s continuous
expansion in the wake of the Cold War runs counter to the trend of our times, that is to maintain
common security.” He added “China supports all efforts conducive to easing the tensions, and
notes the recent diplomatic engagement between Russia and France, Germany, and other
European countries at the leaders’ level. A negotiated, balanced, effective, and sustainable
European security mechanism will serve as a solid foundation for lasting peace and stability
across Europe. We trust that European countries will take decisions with strategic autonomy in
line with their own interests". The statement officially released by the Chinese mission said
“One country’s security cannot be at the expense of the security of others. By the same token,
regional security should not rely on muscling up or even expanding military blocs.” Zhang Jun
also repeated the stance of the Chinese foreign ministry, expressed on multiple occasions, that
all parties involved should return to the 2015 Minsk II agreement, which aimed to end the
separatist war by Russian speakers in eastern Ukraine.
|
