Beijing’s ambassador to Kyiv offered Ukraine a vote of confidence, and Moscow an impolite diplomatic hint, saying the People’s Republic gives Ukrainians its political support and will help them rebuild homes, businesses and infrastructure destroyed by the Russian Federation’s invasion.
Ambassador Fan Sianjuan made the remarks at a meeting of the military council of the Lviv region military administration, as a guest speaker. His comments were widely reported in major Ukrainian media like the news feed censor.net.ua.
“As ambassador, I can say with confidence, that China always will be a positive force for Ukraine, both economically and politically. We will always respect your state, and we will develop relations on the basis of equality and mutual benefit,” he said.
“We will respect the path chosen by Ukrainians, because that is the sovereign right of every nation,” Fan Sianjuan said.
The ambassador added: “We are ready to help you with development. In this situation, in which you now find yourselves, we will respond responsibly. We have seen how united the Ukrainian people are, and that means, we have seen its strength.”
The Lviv-based Chinese diplomat’s remarks came only hours after China’s top official in the United States, Ambassador Qin Gang, said, according to news reports, the Russo-Ukrainian war “is not in China’s interest”, and claimed that Beijing did not have prior warning of the planned Russian attack.
The Chinese diplomats’ comments came two days after Russian President Vladimir Putin made a formal appeal to the People Republic for military and other material assistance. Chinese official reaction to Russia’s invasion has been mixed, with some government statements seeming to support Moscow’s expressed fears of NATO expansion, and others calling for state sovereignty and national borders to be respected by all.
