FALCON POWERS – Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, on Saturday, during his meeting with his American counterpart Anthony Blinken, condemned the American “false accusations” against Beijing of supporting Moscow in its war on Ukraine.
Wang told Blinken during their meeting in Vientiane, the capital of Laos, that China will take “resolute measures” to defend Chinese interests, according to a statement issued by the Chinese Foreign Ministry. China is seeking to mediate the conflict despite its closeness to Moscow and their strong economic, diplomatic and military relations, which were reinforced after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Beijing affirms that it is a neutral mediator, accusing the West, in turn, of “pouring oil on the fire” by supplying weapons to Ukraine.
Washington takes issue with Beijing strengthening its economic support for Moscow, and it is imposing sanctions on Chinese companies accused of selling Russia products that support the Russian war effort.
Wang stressed that the United States “should stop imposing indiscriminate unilateral sanctions” and enforcing its laws and restrictions beyond its borders.
Wang told Blinken that “China rejects smearing its reputation and fabricating false accusations against it,” according to a statement from the Chinese Foreign Ministry, and affirmed that Beijing “will not accept neither pressure nor extortion and will take resolute and effective measures to safeguard its fundamental interests and legitimate rights.”
The meeting between the two ministers took place on the sidelines of a meeting of the foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). China has not condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and it accuses the North Atlantic Treaty Organization of ignoring Moscow’s security concerns, and it shares with Russia the pursuit of forming a force to balance the influence of the United States.
In February, China presented a 12-point plan to resolve the conflict in Ukraine, affirming respect for the sovereignty of each country, but it refrained from criticizing Moscow.
In the document, China said that “all parties should support Russia and Ukraine to move in the same direction and resume direct dialogue between them as soon as possible”, and called on them to avoid any attack on civilians or civilian infrastructure.
On Saturday, Wang told Blinken: “China’s position on the Ukrainian issue is clear and sincere. We will continue to call for peace negotiations” between Kyiv and Moscow.
As an indication of Beijing’s growing weight in mediation attempts, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba visited China a few days ago, the first such visit since the start of the war.
China regularly calls for a ceasefire, a controversial position as it allows Russia to consolidate its gains on the ground.
