UK's accusation of China providing lethal aid to Russia totally groundless: Chinese Embassy

The Chinese Embassy in the UK called Britain's Defense Secretary Grant Shapps' accusation against China of "providing or preparing to provide Russia with lethal aid" in the Russia-Ukraine conflict totally groundless, the embassy said in a statement issued early Thursday.

On the Ukraine issue, China's position has been just and objective. We have worked actively to promote peace talks and facilitate a political settlement. We follow a prudent and responsible approach to arms export and oversee the export of dual-use items in accordance with laws and regulations, a spokesperson of the embassy said.

British Defense Minister Shapps accused China on Wednesday of "providing or preparing to provide Russia with lethal aid for use in its war against Ukraine," Reuters reported.

Western nations have provided Ukraine with billions of dollars in weapons and aid since the Russia-Ukraine conflict started in 2022. Britain is, for the first time, accusing China of working to supply Russia with weapons for use in Ukraine, according to the media report.

"We urge the UK to stop its baseless accusations against China, stop fanning the flames on the Ukraine issue, seriously reflect on its role in international peace and security issues, and truly do something in the interest of world peace and justice," the spokesperson said.

China is neither the creator of, nor a party to, the Ukraine crisis, nor has the country provided lethal weapons to any party involved, a Chinese envoy refuted the US representative's unreasonable accusations against China at a UN Security Council briefing on Ukraine on Monday.

China has the right to conduct normal economic and trade cooperation with all countries, including Russia. China has always had very strict controls on the export of dual-use items, said Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the UN.

The UK has been ramping up efforts in hyping China-related issues as London aligns more closely with Washington in foreign policy, some experts said, who also noted that a smear campaign has been intensifying with the upcoming general election.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Wednesday called a national election for July 4, Reuters reported.