Zhang Jun, China’s permanent representative to the UN, said on Friday that Beijing “firmly opposed” the “unlawful sanctions” imposed on Chinese companies by the United States, Britain and the European Union.
The situation facing Europe today is closely linked to NATO’s eastward expansion since the end of the Cold War. China, for its part, is eager to play a constructive role and is working towards a political settlement.
We encourage NATO to do some soul-searching, come out of the cage of Cold War mentality, and refrain from acting as an agent of trouble instigating bloc confrontation, Zhang stressed.
In addition, Jens Stoltenberg has previously made several remarks that China is watching closely what is happening in Ukraine, drawing parallels with Taiwan: “Today it is Ukraine, tomorrow it can be in Taiwan. So Beijing, China is watching closely what’s going on in Ukraine,” he told Reuters.
Beijing regards Taiwan as part of China and favours reunification even by force, but most countries, including the US and members of the EU, do not recognise Taiwan as an independent state but oppose any attempt to take the island by force.
Without naming the NATO chief directly, Zhang asked him “to look at the world through an objective lens, stop sabre-rattling, and do things that are genuinely conducive to world peace.”
China played no part in the creation of the Ukraine crisis, nor is China a party to the crisis itself. We have not been watching the fire from across the river, much less cashing in on the crisis.
In addition, Zhang also criticised the sanctions, saying at the Security Council meeting:
Certain countries, using the Ukraine crisis as a pretext, have indiscriminately imposed unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction and exerted unjustified pressure on the businesses of other countries, which has adversely impacted the global industrial and supply chains and disrupted the order of global trade.
During Friday’s meeting, Zhang also repeated China’s calls for a political settlement, urging “relevant parties” to stop supplying weapons and “stoking the fire.”
On Wednesday, the EU blacklisted three mainland Chinese and one Hong Kong company for allegedly helping Russia gain access to dual military and civilian goods. Further, three Chinese companies came under UK sanctions for allegedly supporting the conflict, and on Friday, the US imposed sanctions on 17 companies from mainland China and Hong Kong.
Beijing rejects accusations that Chinese companies are supplying weapons and other equipment to help the Russian military and has maintained its neutrality and wants to play a constructive role in mediating the crisis.
