AP: China pledges not to sell arms to any party of Russia's war in Ukraine

Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang said on April 14 that his country wouldn't sell weaponry to either side of the Russia-Ukraine war, the Associated Press reported.

Speaking at a joint news conference with his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock, Qin also said Beijing would regulate exports of goods with dual civilian and military use.

"Regarding the export of military items, China adopts a prudent and responsible attitude," Qin added, as cited by AP.

According to the publication, Qin is the highest-level Chinese official to make such a straightforward statement regarding his country's arms supply to Russia.

In recent months, U.S. officials sounded the alarm that China is considering sending lethal aid to Russia for its war against Ukraine, while Beijing has denied the allegations. On April 5, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said such a move would be a "historic mistake with profound implications," adding there was no evidence of any weaponry supply at that moment.

China's foreign minister also reiterated Beijing's readiness to help find a peaceful solution to Russia's war against Ukraine, the AP wrote.

China released a 12-point "peace plan" on the first anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion. It was criticized by many of Ukraine's Western allies for failing to explicitly call for the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrainian territory.

China has so far refused to condemn Russia's aggression against Ukraine and annexation of Ukrainian territories, which is at odds with respect for international law and sovereignty outlined in the plan.

At the news conference, Baerbock said China bore a special responsibility to assist in mediating the piece in Ukraine as a permanent member of the UN Security Council.

"But I have to wonder why the Chinese positioning so far does not include a call for the aggressor, Russia, to stop the war," she said, as quoted by the AP. "We all know that President (Vladimir) Putin would have the opportunity to do so at any time, and the people in Ukraine would like nothing more than to finally be able to live in peace again."

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Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent news desk