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Ukraine war
ChinaDiplomacy

China says UN Charter is the ‘bottom line’ in relationship with Russia

  • There is ‘no forbidden zone for cooperation’ but Beijing follows tenets and principles of the charter, according to Qin Gang, ambassador to the US
  • His remarks come as Beijing is under pressure to distance itself from Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine

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Qin Gang, China’s ambassador to the US, said military conflict was “in the interests of no one in the world”. Photo: Xinhua
Liu Zhen
China says the UN Charter is the “bottom line” in terms of its cooperation with Russia, amid speculation that Beijing may provide military assistance for Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
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Qin Gang, China’s ambassador to the United States, said while there were no limits in the partnership – which the Chinese and Russian leaders declared just weeks before the invasion – Beijing followed “universally recognised basic norms of international law and international relations”.

“There is no forbidden zone for cooperation between China and Russia, but there is also a bottom line, which is the tenets and principles established in the UN Charter,” Qin told Chinese state-backed broadcaster Phoenix TV in an interview that aired on Thursday.

He added that China wanted to see peaceful and stable international order so that it could focus on its economic development, and that “military conflict is in the interests of no one in the world”.

Weeks before the invasion, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping declared China-Russia ties have “no limits”. Photo: TNS
Weeks before the invasion, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping declared China-Russia ties have “no limits”. Photo: TNS

His remarks come as Beijing is under pressure to distance itself from Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine. Beijing has called for a diplomatic solution to the crisis but has refused to condemn Moscow’s invasion and has criticised Western sanctions against Russia.

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There is also growing suspicion in the West that Beijing could provide Moscow with military equipment, with US President Joe Biden last week warning Chinese leader Xi Jinping there would be consequences if China provided material support to Russia.
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