China says its stand on Ukraine war ‘has not changed’ after UN vote
- Beijing backed a resolution last week that described the conflict as ‘aggression by the Russian Federation’
- But China’s mission to the UN says its vote was on the entire text and wasn’t an endorsement of that paragraph
“China’s position on the Ukraine issue has not changed, and the voting position has nothing to do with the phone call between the two heads of state,” the Permanent Mission of China to the United Nations said on Tuesday in an emailed reply to queries.
The mission was referring to China’s vote on a resolution in the UN General Assembly on April 26, and a conversation between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenksy the same day.
China’s vote drew attention since the resolution described Russia as the aggressor in the conflict – language Beijing has not used. China has never condemned Russia’s attack on Ukraine and has been criticised by the West over its stance on the war.
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European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell tweeted on Wednesday that the bloc welcomed the resolution and that it was supported by its Group of 20 partners including China, Brazil, India and Indonesia.