Beijing has denied supporting Russia’s military and defended trade with Moscow as legal and balanced
China has accused the US of playing a “meaningless blame game” and urged it to stop shifting responsibilities over the Ukraine conflict. Speaking at the UN Security Council on Thursday, Chinese envoy Geng Shuang rejected allegations that Beijing is supporting Russia’s military and called on Washington to “play a constructive role” in ending the fighting.
The remarks follow a series of escalating deadlines from US President Donald Trump. Last month, Trump gave Russia 50 days to end the conflict or face sweeping new sanctions, including 100% tariffs and penalties for its trading partners. Earlier this week, he reduced the window to 10 days. On Wednesday, he set August 8 as the final deadline. The US has already imposed a 25% tariff on India for buying Russian weapons and energy.
The US claimed to the Security Council that China had become “the most important supplier” to Russia’s military campaign. Beijing strongly rejected the accusations, calling them “false” and “completely unacceptable.”
China did not start the conflict and is not a party to it, Geng stated. Beijing has never supplied lethal weapons to either side and strictly controls the export of dual-use goods, including drones, he said.
He defended China’s economic ties with Moscow by noting that neither Russia nor Ukraine is under UN sanctions. “China maintains normal trade with Russia and Ukraine, and has not violated international law or international obligations,” he said.
Geng warned that China’s legitimate rights “must not be violated” and pointed to Washington’s double standards “To this day, the US still maintains trade with Russia. Why is it that the US is not allowing other countries to do what it is doing?”
He further noted that the Ukraine conflict is now at a “critical juncture, facing the prospect and hope of a political solution,” and condemned the continued “reckless” supply of weapons to the battlefield, arguing they only extend the fighting.
Geng’s comments echo Moscow’s long-held position that foreign military aid to Ukraine only prolongs hostilities and leads to more casualties without affecting the outcome of the conflict.
