Recent concerns by western leaders and the media about China supplying weapons to Russia, to aid the ongoing war with Ukraine, has been shut down by the Chinese government.
The Chinese Foreign Minister, Mr. Qin Gang, in response to the allegations, stated that they are falsehoods, peddled against China.
China has maintained its neutral stand to the Russia-Ukraine war and has always blamed the west, led by the U.S and the NATO Military Alliance, for the escalation.
Whiles China is backing Russia politically and economically, the western powers have invoked series and numerous economic sanctions on Russia, for invading its neighbor.
Mr. Gang is known to be the top-level Chinese official, to have made such an explicit comment about arms deals with Russia. China will also regulate the export of items with dual civilian and military use, Gang said.
The Minister also claimed that, “regarding the exports of military items, China adopts a prudent and responsible attitude”. He averred in a news conference alongside the visiting German Foreign Minister, Annalena Baebock.
“China will not provide weapons to either parties of the war, and manage and control the export of dual-use items, in accordance with law and regulations,” Gang said. The Minister reaffirmed China’s desire to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
In the same news conference, the Chinese Foreign Minister, apportioned blames on the Taiwanese government for fueling the regional tensions, after Beijing carried out military drills in an attempt to scare the island it claims to be a part of China.
The State Secretary of U.S, Antony Blinken, in February, alleged the U.S has intelligence to believe that, China was evaluating the chances of providing ammunition to Russia and warned that such involvement in Kremlin’s war effort, would be a “serious problem.”
In recent days, European leaders have issued a similar warning to any country that is deemed to be supporting Putin’s war. The E.U Policy Chief, Josep Borrell, lashed out at China about its support for Russia during the invasion, as “a blatant violation” of China’s U.N commitment.
Xi Jinping’s visit to Moscow last month, indicated how Beijing and Moscow are becoming senior partners in their relations, as China is providing Russia with economic lifeline and political cover.
The Chinese Defense Minister, Gen. Li Shangfu, would be visiting Moscow next week for meetings with his counterpart, Sergei Shoigu and other top Russia military officials.
On Taiwan and Ukraine, Mr. Gang articulates a well-worn defense of Chinese policies that underscores Beijing’s rejection of any criticisms from the west, under the affable nationalist leader, Xi Jinping.
China has sharpened its rhetorics regarding to the issues of Taiwan, which split from the mainland after the 1949 civil war.
China’s Quest to Take Back Taiwan
Tensions around the Taiwan strait grew tremendously after China carried out military drills on the China-Taiwan waters, in retaliatory to the meeting of the Taiwanese President, Tsai Ing-wen and the U.S House Speaker, Kelvin McCarthy.
China, after a series of failed negotiations with the self-governing Taiwan government, directed to the government of Taiwan to submit to its rule, peacefully or meet the force of the Chinese Military.
Mr. Qin again averted that, the pursuit of independence by the Taiwanese government and its foreign supporters, are the reasons behind the recent tensions in the region.
In other remarks, the visiting German Foreign Minister, Annalena Baebock, warned that a conflict in the Taiwan strait, through which much of the world’s international trade passes, would be disastrous to world economic order.
“We therefore view the increasing tensions in the Taiwan strait with great concern”, she said, adding that, “conflict must be resolved peacefully.”
In rebuttal to Ms. Annalena Baebock’s plea, Mr. Qin Gang said Taiwan was “China’s internal affair and bore no outside interference”. “Taiwan independence and peace cannot co-exist,” Qin said.
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