Ukraine conflict: Chinese envoy to UN warns forcing nations to take sides is ‘dangerous’ cold war mentality
- China’s deputy permanent representative Geng Shuang tells emergency session ‘bloc politics’ will not bring peace as China abstains from UN vote
- Beijing’s embassy in Ukraine has told Chinese nationals to take emergency shelter and prepare supplies and has initiated new round of registration
“The crisis in Ukraine shows once again that clinging to the cold war mentality and bloc politics, creating bloc confrontation and pursuing absolute security will not bring peace, but will only lead to conflicts, which serves no one’s interests,” said China’s deputy permanent representative Geng Shuang. China abstained from the vote alongside 34 other countries, including India, Pakistan and most African states.
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China abstains from voting on UN condemnation of Russia’s annexation of Ukrainian areas
The resolution called on countries not to recognise the four Ukrainian regions occupied by Russia – Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson – following last month’s referendums, and demanded that Moscow reverse course on its “attempted illegal annexation”.
“At a time when the world needs unity and cooperation to overcome difficulties, it is irresponsible and dangerous to focus on ideological differences, intimidate and force other countries to take sides, create isolation and exert pressure, and engage in decoupling and chain-cutting,” Geng told the special session.
“All-out and indiscriminate sanctions will … only disrupt the stability of global supply and industrial chains, amplify the spillover effects of the crisis and affect the normal life of the people around the world,” the envoy said, adding that these “spillover effects” on other countries, particularly developing countries, should be minimised.