The United States hit out at China's support of Russia, stating that supporting President Vladimir Putin will be "on the wrong side of history." "China claims to be neutral, but its behavior makes clear that it is still investing in close ties to Russia," a US State Department spokesperson said, reported news agency AFP.Â
China, a close ally of Russia, steadfastly declined to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine ever since Putin launched a special military operation, which led to the United States and its allies imposing sweeping sanctions on Russia and stepping up weapons supplies to Kiev.
Most recently, Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday expressed his readiness to play a "constructive role" to help settle the Ukraine crisis, China's state media reported. In a telephonic conversation with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, Xi said, "All parties concerned must take a responsible stance, thus promoting the correct settlement of the crisis in Ukraine."
"China is prepared to keep playing its constructive role," the Chinese state-run TV quoted Xi as saying.
Xi emphasised that China has always independently assessed the situation on the basis of the historical context and the merits of the issue, and actively promoted world peace and the stability of the global economic order, China's official Xinhua news agency reported.
All parties should push for a proper settlement of the Ukraine crisis in a responsible manner, Xi said, adding that China for this purpose will continue to play its due role. However, it is not yet clear whether Xi has offered to mediate to end the Russia-Ukraine war, shedding Beijing's earlier reluctance to do so.
