'Never Heard of That': Chinese Embassy to US Rejects Claim Russia Asked China for Help in Ukraine

Earlier, the Financial Times alleged that Russia had asked China for weapons and other supplies to back the Kremlin's special military operation in Ukraine. Unnamed US government intelligence sources reportedly did not clarify what kind of assistance was discussed amid a rapprochement between Russia and China due to Western pressure.

A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy to the United States rejected media allegations that Moscow had approached Beijing for military equipment and other logistical support, Reuters reported on Sunday.

Liu Pengyu, a spokesman for the embassy, reportedly told the news agency that he had "never heard of that." China's aim, according to Liu, is to keep the Kremlin's special military operation in Ukraine from spiraling out of control.

"The current situation in Ukraine is indeed disconcerting," the Chinese diplomat noted in response to Reuters. "The high priority now is to prevent the tense situation from escalating or even getting out of control."

According to a Financial Times report, citing unnamed US officials, Washington will issue a warning to its allies in the wake of reports that China is preparing to assist Russia in its military operation in Ukraine. The sources alleged that the Kremlin is running out of weapons and ordnance.

The Chinese diplomat noted that he had no information about such discussions, adding that Beijing maintains the hope "that the situation will ease and peace will return at an early date."

This comes as Jake Sullivan, the US national security adviser, prepares to meet with Yang Jiechi, a high-ranking foreign policy official in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), in Rome on Monday. Before leaving on Sunday, Sullivan warned the CCP against attempting to "bail out" Moscow by assisting the Kremlin in evading the tough sanctions placed on the federation.

The US is said to be increasingly concerned about the CCP's relationship with the Kremlin, which has been stronger as both countries unite in their opposition to Washington on issues ranging from NATO to the ongoing sanctions.

Last month, the leaders of the two nations signed a joint statement in Beijing suggesting that the Beijing-Moscow alliance had "no limits," signaling that the two nuclear powers had become closer.

On Saturday, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang stressed that the CCP is pursuing a peaceful independent foreign policy, and called for all member nations to respect the UN charter that states, in part, "to ensure, by the acceptance of principles and the institution of methods, that armed force shall not be used, save in the common interest."

Premier Li Keqiang: China follows an independent foreign policy of peace. On Ukraine, the sovereignty & territorial integrity of all countries should be respected, purposes & principles of UN Charter observed…

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— Yu Dunhai (@YDunhai) March 12, 2022

Pressure on China has been applied in response to the Kremlin's ongoing special military operation in Ukraine. The Russian government has stated that it seeks to demilitarize and achieve a "de-nazification" of Ukraine. The special military operation, launched on 24 February by Russian President Vladimir Putin, is stated to be only aimed at Ukraine's military infrastructure and has clearly asserted that it poses no threat to civilians, according to the statements from the Kremlin.

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