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China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi (on Monday in Beijing): "China and Russia will maintain their strategic resolve"
Photo: Sam McNeil/AP
China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi has backed Russia in the conflict over its invasion of Ukraine.
In response to a question about international sanctions in response to the war, Wang Yi said at a press conference for the annual session of the Chinese People's Congress in Beijing on Monday: "No matter how treacherous the international storm, China and Russia will maintain their strategic resolve and the comprehensive driving cooperative partnership in the new era.«
Chinese-Russian cooperation should contribute to "peace, stability and development".
Both countries are close neighbors and strategic partners.
Their relationship is "one of the most important bilateral relationships in the world."
The cooperation is not only beneficial for the people of both countries, "but also contributes to peace, stability and development in the world".
Both countries rejected a revival of a Cold War mentality, as well as ideological confrontation, and are committed to democratizing international relations, Wang Yi said at the carefully orchestrated news conference.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine began days after the end of the Winter Olympics in China.
According to Western intelligence, this was no coincidence.
The Chinese government is said to have asked Putin to wait until the end of the Winter Games with a possible invasion of the neighboring country.
This is reported by the New York Times, citing several US government sources and a secret service source from Europe.
According to this, high-ranking Chinese officials had some knowledge of Putin's invasion plans.
The Chinese government dismissed the reports as "fake."
In the Ukraine war, China has so far been reluctant to condemn Russia - and recently called on all parties to the conflict to exercise restraint: "All sides should remain calm, show restraint and avoid further escalation," Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on Tuesday.
At the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, China was among 35 countries that abstained from condemning Russia's aggression.
141 member states voted in favor of the corresponding resolution, only five rejected the resolution.
muk/dpa