Ukraine: NATO accusing China of spreading misinformation is itself ‘disinformation’ – Beijing
Amid growing international pressure to sequester Moscow as an international pariah, Beijing has described as a smokescreen, NATO’s rant of China’s purported backing of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, saying the NATO chief is guilty of “spreading disinformation”.
The NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, on Wednesday, had accused China of giving political backing to Russia as it invades Ukraine by “spreading blatant lies”, and warned Beijing against providing material support to Moscow’s war effort.
Notably, China has subtly declined to reprimand close-ally Russia over its military operations in Ukraine and is also reluctant in providing humanitarian aid to the war-torn country, unlike most international bodies.
The NATO had unequivocally summoned China to not swim against the tide in the matter and “live up to its responsibilities as a member of the UN Security Council, refrain from supporting Russia’s war effort, and join the rest of the world in calling for an immediate, peaceful end to this war”.
But in a face-off at a routine briefing on Thursday, Beijing’s foreign ministry spokesman, Wang Wenbin, clapped back, saying “accusing China of spreading false information about Ukraine is itself spreading disinformation”.
“China’s position is consistent with the wishes of most countries… any unwarranted accusations and suspicions against China will be defeated.
“We have always maintained that Ukraine should become a bridge between the East and West, rather than be in the frontline in a game between great powers,” the minister remarked.
As the war clocks four weeks, leaving in its wake over 970 civilian deaths, with nearly 4 million refugees, according to the UN statistics, thereby evoking a widespread panic across the globe, the US says it is “watching very closely” to see if Beijing delivers weapons in its “willingness” to provide military and economic aid to Russia.
“China has provided Russia with political support, including by spreading blatant lies and misinformation, and allies are concerned that China could provide material support for the Russian invasion,” Stoltenberg also said ahead of an urgent NATO summit on Thursday, where US President Joe Biden is expected to discuss Ukraine with allied nations.
Beijing, however, has decried a continuance or escalation of the blitzkrieg, stressing that it would not touch it with a ten-foot pole and would be willing to play a role in ceasefire mediation efforts, whilst no commitment to holding peace talks in the meantime.
AFP
