China says would have tried to stop Russia’s Ukraine invasion if it had known about it in advance

China’s ambassador to the United States pens an op-ed in The Washington Post “to explain fully and dispel any misunderstandings and rumors” on the country’s position on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“There have been claims that China had prior knowledge of Russia’s military action and demanded Russia delay it until the Winter Olympics concluded. Recent rumors further claimed that Russia was seeking military assistance from China,” writes Qin Gang.

“Let me say this responsibly: Assertions that China knew about, acquiesced to or tacitly supported this war are purely disinformation,” he writes.

“There were more than 6,000 Chinese citizens in Ukraine. China is the biggest trading partner of both Russia and Ukraine, and the largest importer of crude oil and natural gas in the world. Conflict between Russia and Ukraine does no good for China,” he writes.

“Had China known about the imminent crisis, we would have tried our best to prevent it.”

US adviser Jake Sullivan and senior Chinese foreign policy adviser Yang Jiechi met in Rome earlier this week, with the Biden administration increasingly concerned that China is using the Ukraine war to advance Beijing’s long-term interest in its competition with the United States.

The Kremlin has denied reports it had requested Chinese military equipment to use in the war.