People to judge China’s position on Ukraine, Beijing responds to US assertion

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) - Responding to the US statement that nations siding with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Ukraine “will be on the wrong side of history,” China on Thursday said it is up to people to judge who is on the right side.

“People will be able to judge by themselves who is on the right side of the history,” China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a news conference in Beijing.

“China has always independently assessed the situation on the basis of the historical context and the merits of the Ukrainian issue. We have always stood on the side of peace and justice,” Wang said, according to the Chinese daily Global Times.

Refusing to directly condemn Moscow’s actions, Beijing, however, has insisted on dialogue and diplomatic steps to resolve the conflict.

Wang was responding to a statement from the US State Department that said: “China claims to be neutral, but its behavior makes clear that it is still investing in close ties to Russia. … But in other key respects, China has already made a choice.”

Washington issued the statement soon after Chinese President Xi Jinping told Putin that China “will keep backing Russia on sovereignty and security.”

“China is willing to support and strengthen strategic coordination with Russia on issues of core interests and common concern on sovereignty and security,” Xi told his Russian counterpart in a phone call on Wednesday. This was the second phone conversation between the two leaders since Russia launched its war on Ukraine on Feb. 24.

Wang said that while the US “continued pushing NATO eastward, China actively advocated a common and sustainable security concept.”

“When the US fueled the conflict, China actively encouraged peace talks,” he added.

The Western countries, led by the EU and the US, imposed severe penalties on Russia, making it the most sanctioned country in the world at the moment.