China: End arms shipments to Ukraine

Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the UN. (Photo/Chinese Foreign Ministry's official website)

China's envoy to the United Nations on Thursday called for de-escalating the conflict in Ukraine and a halt to arms shipments there.

"Many (Security) Council members, including China, have expressed concerns about the increased lethality of the weapons and the rising risk of diversion and proliferation," Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the UN, said at a Security Council meeting on the Ukraine crisis.

"The continued supply of weapons to the battlefield will only exacerbate the cruelty, danger and unpredictability of the war; hasten the spread of the spillover effects, and further dim the hopes for the cessation of hostilities," he said.

In a recent briefing, Adedeji Ebo, director and deputy to the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, highlighted ongoing arms transfers to both Ukraine and Russia. He noted that Ukraine continues to receive heavy conventional weapons, including armored combat vehicles, combat aircraft, large-caliber artillery and missile systems.

"Weapons may help win wars, but they cannot win lasting peace," Geng said.

Geng said that the current battlefield is a "show of weapons", emphasizing that the pressing priority of the moment is to follow the three principles of "no expansion of the battlefield, no escalation of the fighting, and no provocation by any party", and to work toward de-escalating the situation and resolving the crisis politically as soon as possible.

China calls on the parties to the conflict to demonstrate their political will in earnest, start peace talks and stop the fighting as quickly as possible, he said. He also urged the international community to actively create favorable conditions and provide constructive assistance toward that end.

"China has called for an early cease-fire and an end to the fighting, for the settlement of disputes through diplomatic negotiations, and for the promotion of a political settlement," Geng said. "Over the past three years, China has been speaking out and using its good offices to that end. I think the international community can see clearly who is supporting peace and who is obstructing it."

Geng restated and emphasized that China has not provided arms to any party involved in the conflict in Ukraine and has consistently maintained strict control over dual-use items.

"Chinese enterprises carry out normal economic and trade cooperation with countries around the world, including Russia and Ukraine, in accordance with WTO (World Trade Organization) rules and market principles, which is reasonable, legitimate and beyond reproach," he said.

"We oppose the US use of the Ukraine issue to smear China's image and exert pressure on China, and its wanton imposition of unilateral sanctions and illegal long-arm jurisdiction on Chinese entities and individuals.

"We will take all necessary measures to safeguard the legitimate and lawful rights and interests of Chinese enterprises and citizens," Geng said.

He said that the US has previously discredited and vilified China, blaming it on the Ukraine issue.

"The Ukraine crisis is essentially an eruption of the built-up security tensions in Europe, a result of the long-term accumulation and worsening of the security and trust deficit in Europe," said Geng.

He said that the situation was exacerbated by the United States, which has continually heightened tensions, expanded the trust deficit, and fostered division and confrontation across the region.