Beijing calls Putin’s Ukraine invasion a war for the first time and refuses to supply airline parts
Is China turning on Russia? Beijing calls Putin’s Ukraine invasion a war for the first time and refuses to supply airline parts
China has called Putin’s attack on Ukraine a ‘war’ for the first time Beijing has also refused to supply Russian airlines with aircraft partsUkraine asked Beijing to use its connections in Russia to put an end to the attackOn Saturday, Ukraine said China told them it ‘is interested in stopping this war’Beijing is still steering clear of using the word ‘invasion’ two weeks into the war
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China called Putin’s attack on Ukraine a ‘war’ for the first time on Thursday, marking a shift in tone for Beijing which has towed the line between supporting and condemning Russia over the past two weeks.
‘We hope to see fighting and the war stop as soon as possible,’ state broadcaster CCTV cited foreign minister Wang Yi as saying on Thursday in a video conference call with his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian.
Wang called on all sides to calm down and to take more actions to prevent escalation in Ukraine, CCTV reported.
China called Putin’s attack on Ukraine a ‘war’ for the first time on Thursday, marking a shift in tone for Beijing which has towed the line between supporting and condemning Russia over the past two weeks. Putin is pictured meeting Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko this morning
China has yet to call the war an ‘invasion’, steering clear of language that would pit them against Russia on the international stage. Pictured: China’s President Xi in Beijing on March 10
Firefighters spray water on a destroyed shoe factory following a Russian airstrike in Dnipro, Ukraine on March 11
China has yet to call the war an ‘invasion’, steering clear of language that would pit them against Russia on the international stage.
China has toned down its support of Russia, but is still rejecting calls for it to join the West in sanctioning the invading nation.
On Thursday, China refused to supply Russian airlines with aircraft parts, an official at Russia’s aviation authority.
Russia will look to source parts from other countries including Turkey and India, according to Russian news agencies.
Boeing and Airbus have halted supply of components, in line with the sanctions, and almost all European nations have closed their airspace to Russian planes.
Wang described the Chinese-Russian relationship as ‘rock solid’ earlier in the week, but the change in tone suggests a shift in China’s view of the conflict.
Ukraine has asked Beijing to use its connections with the Kremlin to put an end to the invasion.
Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Saturday that he had received assurances that ‘China is interested in stopping this war’, raising hopes the country could act as a mediator between Ukraine and Russia.
China has claimed neutrality since Putin’s attack, abstaining from a UN general assembly resolution calling on Russia to withdraw its troops on March 2.
This week, China also said it would send £600,750 in humanitarian aid to Ukraine, an amount dwarfed by humanitarian aid sent by other nations.
The US House of Representatives approved a £10.4 billion aid package on Wednesday, whereas the total support offered by the UK equals around £400 million as of Monday.
China has claimed neutrality since Putin’s attack, abstaining from a UN general assembly resolution calling on Russia to withdraw its troops on March 2. Pictured: Rescuers working at the scene of an airstrike in Dnipro this morning
Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, and Russian President Vladimir Putin talk to each other during their meeting in Beijing
A New York Times article published on March 2 described a Western intelligence report as claiming that Chinese officials new of Putin’s intention to invade Ukraine, but asked the Kremlin to wait until after the Winter Olympics had concluded.
Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Chinese premier Xi Jinping in Beijing on February 4, hours before the Olympics opening ceremony.
The two countries issued a joint statement declaring that friendship between the two states had no limits.
China also endorsed Russia’s opposition to further NATO expansion, demanding the alliance respect the sovereignty and security interests of other countries, meaning Russia.
Beijing has repeatedly endorsed the Russian argument that Moscow’s security was threatened by NATO’s eastern expansion.
When it came time for Putin’s statements, Russia reaffirmed its support for China’s claim over Taiwan.
Chinese officials denied the claims, calling the New York Times report ‘fake news’.
