At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs press briefing on Thursday, reporters from AFP, Bloomberg, and Reuters repeatedly tried—and failed—to get Spokeswoman Hua Chunying to denounce Russia. An example response:
“China is closely monitoring the latest developments and calls on all sides to exercise restraint and prevent the situation from getting out of control.
“I would like to stress once again China’s consistent position. We should pursue common, cooperative and sustainable security for all countries. The legitimate security concerns of all sides should be respected and resolved. We hope all sides will keep the door to peace open and continue to work for de-escalation through dialogue, consultation and negotiation and prevent further escalation.”
This call for all sides to exercise restraint mirrors the statements of China’s representative at the United Nations Security Council Wednesday night.
