Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin has indicated that it is too late for China to join Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine.
“We have spelled out China’s position on many occasions,” Wenbin told reporters on Tuesday. “I think it would be behind the curve if we looked into this issue. We hope that the international community will say and do more that is conducive to dialogue and negotiations, and make concerted efforts to achieve peace and seek a political solution to the Ukraine issue at an early stage, rather than building obstacles.”
The comments come as China is set to meet virtually with the European Union this Friday. European leaders have unanimously denounced Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aggression towards Ukraine and will reportedly put pressure on China during the upcoming summit. China has called for peace but has yet to formally criticize Putin or the invasion.
Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, as Moscow’s troops invaded the eastern European nation from three fronts. The conflict has sparked a refugee crisis as millions have fled Ukraine. The United Nations Humanitarian Office said earlier this week that more than 1,100 civilians have died in the conflict.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the Russian military committed war crimes during the conflict.
“As with any suspected crime, a court with jurisdiction over the crime has ultimate responsibility for determining criminal guilt in specific cases,” Blinken said in a March 23 statement. “The U.S. government will continue to investigate reports of war crimes and will share information we gather with allies, partners and international institutions and organizations as appropriate. We commit to pursuing accountability using all available tools, including law enforcement.”
US President Joe Biden had called Putin a “war criminal” and said the Russian leader “cannot stay in power”.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin has indicated that it is too late for China to join Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine. In this photo, Wenbin speaks at the Foreign Ministry briefing in Beijing on November 9, 2020. Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images
Last week, NATO leaders called on China to publicly oppose Russia’s “brutal war.”
“China must not support the Russian invasion, either economically or militarily,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said at a press conference. “Instead, Beijing should use its significant influence over Russia and promote an immediate peaceful solution.”
But Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday touted a new “world order” with China. Lavrov met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday, their first meeting since the war began.
“We will move together with you and our sympathizers towards a multipolar, just and democratic world order,” Lavrov said in a video posted to Twitter.
Newsweek reached out to the Russian Foreign Ministry for comment but received no response before publication.