Xi Jinping has denied claims China has been supporting Russia in its war in Ukraine as he met with European leaders during a six-day visit to the continent.
Speaking alongside French President Emmanuel Macron at a joint press conference in Paris on Monday, Xi said: “China is neither the creator of the crisis, nor a party to it or a participant.
“But we are also not a bystander, we have always been actively contributing to reaching peace.
“We also oppose using the Ukraine crisis to shed responsibility or defame a third country and provoke a new Cold War,” Xi added.
The comment was apparently in reference to accusations from the US that China is Russia’s “primary contributor where industrial support for arms is concerned.
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Speaking at a G7 meeting last month US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said: “We see China sharing machine tools, semiconductors, other dual use items that have helped Russia rebuild the defence industrial base.”
Xi’s comments came following following a day of meetings including with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The Chinese leader’s visit takes place amid a souring of Sino-European relations, fuelled by concerns over Beijing’s close to ties to Vladimir Putin’s regime.
Senior Biden administration officials said last month that the support China is providing to Russia includes significant quantities of machine tools, drone and turbojet engines and technology for cruise missiles, microelectronics, and nitrocellulose, which is used by Russia to make propellant for weapons, as per CNN.
China has been accused of providing goods with military use, rather than weapons, to Russia.
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Beijing maintains that its trade with Russia is merely part of normal bilateral ties and that it does not provide weapons to parties that are in conflict.
Macron said during the join press conference that Xi had “reiterated” a commitment made a year ago about “not sending weapons and aid to Moscow as well as (to) strictly control China’s export of goods that could be used in a military way.”
“The length and quality of our exchanges on this subject is a source of reassurance [for me],” the French President said.
He also offered thanks to his Chinese counterpart visiting France ahead of an expected visit by Vladimir Putin in the weeks ahead.
Macron said it allowed an opportunity for European leaders to express their thoughts to China about Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine and determination to provide support to Kyiv’s forces for “as long as it takes.”
