China condemned Russia’s war in Ukraine on Tuesday and said it would help ceasefire talks as cracks in relations between the two Asian superpowers deepen.
Beijing was “extremely concerned about the damage to civilians” in the invasion and “Ukraine … looks forward to China playing a role in the ceasefire,” the authoritarian government said in a statement after talks between diplomats from the two nations, according to the Financial Times.
The foreign ministers also spoke of the evacuation of approximately 6,000 Chinese citizens living, working and studying in Ukraine, the report said.
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China’s call for peace came a day after China’s foreign ministry distanced itself from Moscow, claiming the two nations were “strategic partners” and not allies, according to Newsweek.
It was a dramatic change just a month ago, when Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping issued a joint statement rejecting US and NATO enlargement when the Beijing Winter Olympics began.
With postal wires