China hits back at NATO over Russia accusations

July 12, 2024

Image description, Mr Wang, seen here in a file photo, made the remarks in a telephone conversation with the Dutch Foreign Minister.

Author, Tessa Wong
Role, BBC News
1 hour ago

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi has rejected NATO’s “baseless accusations” that Beijing is supporting Russia in the war against Ukraine.

He also warned the Western alliance against fomenting a confrontation.

Wang made his remarks in a phone call with his Dutch counterpart just hours after NATO leaders gathered in Washington DC and issued a declaration of war.

They accused China of being a key enabler of Russia through its “large-scale support for the Russian defense industry” – some of their harshest remarks yet about Beijing.

They called on China to stop “all material and political support” for the Russian war effort, such as the supply of dual-use materials, i.e. items that can be used for both civilian and military purposes.

Western states have previously accused Beijing of passing on drone and missile technology as well as satellite images to Moscow. The US estimates that around 70 percent of the machine tools and 90 percent of the microelectronics that Russia imports come from China.

Beijing was also accused of conducting “malicious cyber and hybrid activities, including disinformation” against NATO countries.

On Thursday, Wang said in a conversation with new Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp that “China absolutely does not accept all these accusations” and insisted that the country has “always been a force for peace and stability.”

In comments carried by state media, he said China’s different political system and values ”should not serve as a reason for NATO to instigate a confrontation with China” and called on NATO to “stay within its borders.”

His remarks were the latest in a flood of angry reactions from Beijing.

Earlier, a US State Department spokesman said on Thursday that NATO was using “fabricated disinformation” to tar China. Beijing’s mission to the EU called on the alliance to “stop exaggerating the so-called threat posed by China.”

Beijing has long denied accusations that it supports Russia in the war and insists it remains neutral. It called for an end to the conflict and proposed a peace plan, which Ukraine rejected.

But alongside growing allegations of military support, observers also pointed out that Beijing’s purchases of huge amounts of oil and gas had helped bolster the Russian economy, which had been crippled by sanctions, and replenish state coffers depleted by war spending.

Beijing’s official rhetoric on the conflict is often similar to Moscow’s rhetoric. Like Moscow, China is still not talking about war. Chinese President Xi Jinping maintains close relations with President Vladimir Putin. Both have famously declared that their partnership “knows no boundaries.”

Beijing accused the US and other Western states of adding “fuel to the fire” by supplying Ukraine with deadly weapons and technology for defense.

In recent weeks, several countries have gone a step further and allowed Ukraine to use their weapons to attack targets in Russia.