China warns US 'not to add fuel to fire' of Ukraine conflict
Beijing has warned Washington against fueling the conflict in Ukraine, where Russia continues its special military operation.
MEHR: Beijing has warned Washington against fueling the conflict in Ukraine, where Russia continues its special military operation.
Meeting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the sidelines of the 2023 Munich Security Conference on Saturday, head of the Communist Party of China's Central Foreign Affairs Office Wang Yi stressed that "As a great power, the US should contribute to a political solution to the crisis, not add fuel to the fire and look for opportunities to benefit from it."
According to Wang, China has adhered to a constructive position in relation to the crisis in Ukraine and supported the negotiating process.
Wang also made it clear that Beijing "will never tolerate US instructions or even threats to put pressure on Russian-Chinese relations."
He earlier told the Munich Security Conference that China would draft and present a document, in which its position on the Ukraine crisis will be outlined by the end of February, Sputnik reported.
"On the Ukraine issue, China's stance boils down to supporting talks for peace. We will put forth a paper on China's position on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis and stay firm on the side of peace and dialogue," he underscored.
For its part, the US State Department said in a press release that during talks with Wang, Blinken "warned about the implications and consequences if China provides material support to Russia or assistance with systemic sanctions evasion."
The US and its allies slapped a number of sanction packages against Russia shortly after it launched its special military operation in Ukraine following requests from the Donbas republics to protect them from Kyiv's attacks. Apart from the sanctions, western countries ramped up their military assistance to Kyiv in a move that Moscow warns will add to further prolonging the Ukraine conflict.
