New Delhi: China on Monday slammed the claims made by the United States that it is considering arming Russia in its war against Ukraine. In a statement released by China’s foreign ministry, it termed the claims as “false” and said that Beijing does not accept the United States finger-pointing on China-Russia relations. "We do not accept the United States' finger-pointing on China-Russia relations, let alone coercion and pressure," Wang Yi said. In the statement, the ministry spokesperson said that Wang Yi stressed over the Ukraine issue and said that China stands by principles.
China is committed to promoting peace talks and has played a constructive role. The China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination is built on the basis of non-alliance, non-confrontation and non-targeting of third countries, which is within the sovereign right of any two independent states, the statement further read.
The US, as a major country, has every reason to work for a political settlement of the crisis instead of fanning the flames or profiting from it, the spokesperson said.
Earlier on Sunday, the US accused China of considering arming Russia in its conflict with Ukraine, raising tensions as the war hits its one-year mark this week, the news agency AFP reported. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made the charges as US-China ties were further put to the test earlier this month when Washington shot down what it claimed was a large Chinese surveillance balloon.
The European Union also raised concerns over the use of munitions in the conflict in Ukraine, claiming that serious ammunition shortages faced by Ukrainian forces must be solved within weeks. According to AFP, Blinken told CBS that China was now "considering providing lethal support" to Moscow ranging "from ammunition to the weapons themselves."
"We've made very clear to them that that would cause a serious problem for us and in our relationship," he added. He made similar comments in a series of interviews from Germany, where on Saturday he attended the Munich Security Conference and met with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi.