US so far not seen evidence of China’s lethal aid to Russia
The United States are yet to see any evidence of China providing lethal aid to Russia, the state department said amid speculations a private army of Vladimir Putin’s ally might have Chinese-produced armoured vehicles.
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Speaking at a briefing Wednesday, Matthew Miller, the state department’s spokesman, said the US "did have concerns that China might provide lethal aid to Russia."
"We have not to this point seen evidence that they have carried out that step. It would be greatly concerning if they did," he stressed.
Mr Miller also noted that while China has said it is interested in pursuing peace in Ukraine, it has also "been closely aligned with Russia since the outset of this war".
"So if China is serious about pursuing a peace that respects Ukraine’s sovereignty, that respects Ukraine’s territorial integrity, of course, that would be important and that would be useful," he added.
Last week, Ramzan Kadyrov, the head of the Chechen Republic, an autonomous Russian region that suffered two devastating wars over the last couple of decades, boasted eight armoured personnel carriers similar to ShaanXi Tiger 4x4, manufactured by the Chinese company Shaanxi Baoji Special Vehicles Manufacturing
Beijing later denied supplying armoured vehicles to Russia and called on journalists to cover the information "objectively, honestly and professionally".
China declares its ‘neutral’ position on Russia's war against Ukraine, which it calls ‘the Ukraine crisis’.
Beijing has reiterated the Russian propaganda cliché that Russia was ‘provoked’ into war by NATO and the United States, and has not condemned the war that Moscow is waging to destroy the Ukrainian people.
At the same time, however, China declared its commitment to the principle of territorial integrity and inviolability of borders. Chinese officials regularly call for negotiations and say they are ‘for global peace’.
