Chinese envoy rejects U.S. accusations over Ukraine crisis

UNITED NATIONS, July 31 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Thursday rejected U.S. accusations against China over its role in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

At a Security Council meeting on Ukraine, the U.S. representative accused China of being "the most important supplier" of Russia's war efforts.

In response, Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, dismissed the false and slanderous narratives against China from the U.S. side as completely unacceptable.

China did not start the Ukraine crisis and is not a party to it. China has never supplied lethal weapons to either side of the conflict and has strictly controlled the export of dual-use goods, including drones, said Geng.

"The parties to the conflict are not under Security Council sanctions. China has normal trade relations with Russia and Ukraine. By doing so, it does not violate international law or breach its international obligations. China's legitimate rights and interests must not be infringed upon," he said. "In fact, till now, the United States has maintained its trade with Russia. If the United States is doing that itself, why doesn't it allow others to do the same?"

The Ukraine crisis is at a critical juncture where there are prospects and hopes for a political solution. It is not right for the United States, on the one hand, to expect China to play a role in putting an early end to the conflict, and on the other hand, to keep on smearing and pressurizing China, said Geng.

China, once again, urges the United States to stop its pointless blame game, stop shifting responsibilities, and play a constructive role in ending the fighting and promoting peace talks, he said.

To resolve the Ukraine crisis, what is needed is unity and cooperation, not division and confrontation, he added.

On the supply of weapons to Ukraine, Geng expressed concern about the expanding variety and range of weapons flowing to the battlefield, as well as a growing lethality and destructive power.

The reckless supply of weapons to the battlefield will only intensify confrontation, prolong the conflict, cause risks of proliferation, and inflict further casualties and suffering on the people of both sides and the broader region, he warned.

The urgent priority for Russia and Ukraine is to work together to de-escalate the situation on the battlefield as soon as possible. They should maintain the momentum of talks, continue to build consensus and ultimately reach a comprehensive, lasting and binding peace agreement, said Geng.

Since day one of the conflict, China has advocated for the peaceful resolution of disputes and has called on the parties to the conflict to end hostilities, start negotiations and restore peace sooner rather than later. China will continue to work with the international community to play a constructive role in an early political settlement of the crisis, he said. Enditem