US cares about its geopolitical goals not Ukraine: China

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) - China on Tuesday accused the US of exploiting the Ukraine crisis for its own “geopolitical goals,” state media reported.

“What the US cares about is not Ukraine, but to realize its geopolitical and strategic goal via the Ukraine crisis,” said Wang Wenbin, spokesman for China’s Foreign Ministry.

Wang was responding to comments made by US spy chief William Burns during a Senate hearing.

“If we're seen to be walking away from support for Ukraine, not only is that going to feed doubts amongst our allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific, it's going to stoke the ambitions of the Chinese leadership in contingencies ranging from Taiwan to the South China Sea,” Burns told senators on Monday.

Separately, in their 2024 Annual Threat Assessment report the same day, US intelligence agencies said: “An ambitious but anxious China, a confrontational Russia, some regional powers, such as Iran, and more capable non-state actors are challenging longstanding rules of the international system as well as US primacy within it.”

It alleged China “may attempt to influence the US elections in 2024 at some level because of its desire to sideline critics of China and magnify US societal divisions.”

Wang said China's special representative on Eurasian Affairs Li Hui visited Russia, the EU headquarters, Poland, Ukraine, Germany, and France early this month.

During his trip, Li discussed with officials the political resolution of the Ukraine crisis, said the ministry spokesman.

“All parties highly appreciate Li's efforts in urging peace talks on behalf of China,” Wang said, emphasizing that China sincerely hopes that “all relevant parties will work toward an early cease-fire and establish a balanced, effective, and sustainable European security framework.”