Chinese embassy in Washington ‘believes US and China can cooperate on Ukraine issue’
- The embassy spokesman says he has seen no evidence of war crimes by Russian soldiers, contrary to the American and European positions
- It will be difficult for Joe Biden to work closely with Beijing unless China takes a more forceful stance against the Russian invasion, analysts say
The Chinese embassy in Washington called on Wednesday for closer US-China cooperation to help bring an end to the war in Ukraine.
The appeal by Liu Pengyu, the embassy’s spokesman in Washington, follows growing calls in the US and Europe for Beijing to clarify its position on the Russian invasion. China has tried to walk a fine line, supporting its “no limit” partnership with Russia in the face of global outrage without alienating its major export markets.
“I believe the US and China can cooperate on the Ukraine issue,” Liu said, referencing last week’s two-hour video call between President Joe Biden and President Xi Jinping. “The two sides reached a consensus, which is to step up diplomatic efforts to end hostilities as soon as possible.
“And we look forward to progress on that,” he added.
At an hour-long virtual press conference on Wednesday, hours after a US State Department declaration to the contrary, Liu said that he had seen no evidence of war crimes in Ukraine, adding that China opposes any use of chemical or tactical nuclear weapons.