The war in Ukraine is harming Beijing, and the Chinese envoy claimed that if he knew about the preparations, he would strive to prevent it.
They claimed in China that they were unaware of Russia’s plans for a war in Ukraine and that if they were, they would strive to prevent it. In an article for the Washington Post, Chinese Ambassador to the United States Qin Gang discussed this.
He stated that this war is not in China’s interest.
“Let me say this responsibly: Assertions that China knew about, acquiesced to or tacitly supported this war are purely disinformation. All these claims serve only the purpose of shifting blame to and slinging mud at China,” he wrote.
He pointed out that China is Russia’s and Ukraine’s greatest trading partners, as well as the world’s top importer of crude oil and natural gas. The ambassador also stated that there were around 6,000 Chinese individuals in Ukraine at the time of the invasion.
“Conflict between Russia and Ukraine does no good for China. Had China known about the imminent crisis, we would have tried our best to prevent it,” writes Qin Gang.
The Chinese envoy went on to say that all countries’ sovereignty and territorial integrity, including Ukraine’s, must be respected.
“On Ukraine, China’s position is objective and impartial: The purposes and principles of the U.N. Charter must be fully observed; the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, including Ukraine, must be respected; the legitimate security concerns of all countries must be taken seriously; and all efforts that are conducive to the peaceful settlement of the crisis must be supported,” he adds.
At the same time, the ambassador warned against making any connections between Taiwan and Ukraine.
“This is a mistake….Ukraine is a sovereign state, while Taiwan is an inseparable part of China’s territory. The Taiwan question is a Chinese internal affair. It does not make sense for people to emphasize the principle of sovereignty on Ukraine while hurting China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity on Taiwan,” says the author.
He stated that China supports peace in Ukraine and is willing to do everything in our ability to achieve it.
China’s ultimate goal, according to the envoy, is to end the war and maintain regional and global stability.
Image Credit: Getty
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