China said on Tuesday that the situation in Ukraine is “worrisome,” after Russia launched missile attacks on several civilian areas across Ukraine in retaliation to the Crimean Bridge blast last weekend.
When asked whether China was concerned about the deaths and injuries of Ukrainian civilians, during her regular press briefing on Tuesday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that “the ongoing developments are worrisome.” To this end, she called on “relevant parties” to find “proper ways to address differences through dialogue and consultation.”
Mao also stated that Beijing is “ready to work with the international community and continue to play a constructive part in de-escalation efforts,” but did not provide further details on how the Chinese government planned on helping.
Even during her Monday press briefing, the spokesperson had relayed China’s concern surrounding the escalation of violence in Ukraine. On being asked to comment on Russia’s “revenge strikes” in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, Mao said that Beijing had made a note of “relevant reports” and hoped that “the situation will de-escalate as soon as possible.”
Both China and India have both now publicly expressed concern and called for deescalation, hours after Russia launched its largest coordinated attack against Ukraine in months, firing almost 100 missiles at dozens of cities during morning rush hour, killing and injuring civilians
— Jake Cordell (@JakeCordell) October 10, 2022
She underscored said that “all countries deserve respect for their sovereignty and territorial integrity,” adding that “purposes and principles” of the United Nations’ (UN) Charter “should be observed.” The spokesperson added that “legitimate security concerns of any country should be taken seriously,” and that “support should be given to all efforts that are conducive to peacefully resolving the crisis.”
Mao also reiterated China’s offer to “play a constructive part in de-escalation efforts” and called on Russia and Ukraine to jointly “engage in dialogue and negotiation” to help cease the violence.
China’s recent show of concern for Russia’s acts of violence in the Ukraine war is not unprecedented.
During their meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin indicated that China had expressed concern with Russia’s military operation in Ukraine. Praising China’s “balanced position” on the war, Putin told Xi: “We understand your questions and your concerns in this regard. During today’s meeting we will certainly explain in detail our position on this issue, although we have spoken about this before now.”
This nonsense about Putin being “provoked” must stop. He does not need anything to “provoke” him in order to commit heinous crimes. I ask international media to stop shifting the blame on the victim of aggression by suggesting that Putin “responds” or is being “provoked” 2/2
— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) October 10, 2022
Confirming the discord, the United States (US) State Department spokesperson Ned Price said after the high-profile meeting that Putin’s admission of Chinese concerns about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine had made it clear that Beijing is not entirely happy with Moscow. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is “at odds with everything China has purported to believe in over the course of decades now.” “It is a constant refrain that we’ve heard from China bilaterally, that we’ve heard from China in multilateral settings,” he remarked, referring to China’s stated commitment to global stability.
China’s latest indication of concern surrounding Russia’s war on Ukraine comes a few days after Putin accused Ukraine of orchestrating “a terrorist act aimed at destroying critical civilian infrastructure,” after a truck bomb exploded on the Kerch bridge connecting Crimea to mainland Russia, killing three people.
In response to Saturday’s blast, Russia on Monday launched a “massive strike” on 14 Ukrainian regions, including the capital Kyiv, that killed at least 14 people, injured nearly 100, and damaged water and power supply across the country.
Following an attack over the weekend by Ukrainian forces on a strategic bridge that connects Russia to annexed Crimea, Russian forces targeted several Ukrainian cities in a wave of missile strikes that killed at least a dozen people and injured approx 100 others pic.twitter.com/BN4ctFP3Dr
— NowThis (@nowthisnews) October 12, 2022
Referring to the revenge attack, Putin said during a Security Council meeting on Monday that “It is simply no longer possible to leave crimes of this kind without retaliation.” Though he said the attacks targeted the Ukrainian energy, military, and communication facilities, some missiles struck a playground in Kyiv and a university.
Beijing’s recent comments appear to be a marked turnaround from its previous strategy of sticking by Russia irrespective of its actions during the war. In fact, during a meeting with Russian Ambassador to China Andrey Ivanovich Denisov in April, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister (FM) Le Yucheng declared that “China will continue to strengthen strategic coordination with Russia for win-win cooperation…no matter how the international landscape may change.”
Western governments have criticised Beijing’s lack of action against Moscow’s aggression. However, China has so far refused to openly condemn Russia and has taken a neutral stance on the war.