US envoy accuses China of siding with Russia in Ukraine conflict

Beijing has been providing material support to Moscow and assisting it in evading sanctions, according to an American diplomat.

China has been actively supporting Russia in the Ukraine conflict, despite portraying itself as neutral, said Julianne Smith, the US Permanent Representative to NATO.

This accusation came as the Pentagon announced a new $425 million military aid package for Ukraine, which includes anti-air missiles, artillery shells, and armored vehicles.

Smith, speaking to reporters on Wednesday, asserted that Beijing “does its very best to try and convince the world that it can maintain a very neutral status as it relates to the war in Ukraine.”

“But in reality, the PRC has picked a side. It has put its thumb on the scale, and it has opted to support Russia in its war in Ukraine,” the diplomat stated, referring to China by its official name. She further accused China of aiding Russia in circumventing sanctions by supplying “a long list of dual-use components.”

China, which enjoys friendly relations with Russia, has denied providing material support to its northern neighbor. Beijing has been “committed to promoting talks for peace” and making “efforts toward peaceful settlement,” according to Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who spoke with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken last month on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

“The United States should stop smearing, scapegoating and arbitrarily imposing sanctions on China,” Wang emphasized, accusing the US of using Ukraine to “create antagonism and incite camp-based confrontation.”

In August, Washington imposed sanctions on over 400 companies and individuals, including those in China, alleging they were assisting Russia in bypassing US-imposed sanctions.

China presented its 12-point roadmap for peace in Ukraine in 2023 and earlier this year unveiled a new six-point plan jointly with Brazil. Chinese envoys have been actively involved in shuttle diplomacy with the aim of ending the conflict between Moscow and Kiev.

Simultaneously, China and Russia have emphasized the “strategic” nature of their partnership in recent years, with both nuclear-armed superpowers expressing opposition to American “unilateralism.”

Andrey Belousov, the Russian Defense Minister, visited Beijing this week, during which he stated that Russia and China shared “a common assessment” of the global situation.