China is “deeply worried” about the escalation of the Ukraine conflict and the possibility of the situation spiraling out of control, China’s foreign minister Qin Gang said on Tuesday.
Beijing, which last year struck a “no limits” partnership with Moscow, has refrained from condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The United States has warned of consequences if China provides military support to Russia, which Beijing says it is not doing. “We urge certain countries to immediately stop fueling the fire,” Qin said during a speech, adding that these nations must also “stop hyping up ‘today Ukraine, tomorrow Taiwan’.” Read more: Nations seek clarity on Olympics ‘neutrality’ for Russia, Belarus as calls for ban grow Read next: Part of the Sun breaks free and forms a strange vortex, baffling scientists “We stand firmly against any form of hegemony, against any foreign interference in China’s affairs,” he said.
Also on Tuesday, China released a paper on the Global Security Initiative (GSI), President Xi Jinping’s flagship security proposal which aims to uphold the principle of “indivisible security,” a concept also endorsed by Russia.