BEIJING — China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson refused to categorize Russia’s attack as an “invasion” during a press conference Thursday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced an attack on Ukraine earlier in the day, and explosions in and other cities in Ukraine followed. Ukraine’s military claimed to be engaged in fighting within its borders, and Ukraine President described the violence as an invasion to destroy the country.
Within hours, leaders from the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom and beyond condemned the Russian attack.
China’s Assistant Foreign Minister was asked by reporters several times whether she would call Russia’s attacks an invasion but she repeatedly avoided giving a yes or no answer.
In response to one reporter, appeared to express frustration at the question and said, “The U.S. has been fueling the flame, fanning up the flame, how do they want to put out the fire?”
said Russia was an “independent major country” that could take its own actions. She referred repeatedly to Russia’s government statements on Ukraine, such as a claim from Moscow’s defense ministry that Russian armed forces do not strike Ukrainian cities.
“China is closely following the development of the situation. What you are seeing today is not what we have wished to see,” said. “We hope all parties can go back to dialogue and negotiation.”
Earlier in the week, Putin formally recognized the independence of two separatist regions in eastern Ukraine. The U.S. and Europe had attempted to prevent an attack with a series of sanctions on Russian individuals, financial institutions and sovereign debt.
But on Thursday the long-feared Russian invasion of Ukraine began, as explosions were reported in the capital other cities around the country.
“China is clearly sympathetic to Russian perspectives,” said Tong Zhao, a senior fellow in the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, based in Beijing.
