China promises not to send weapons to Russia
The Chinese government has stated that it will not provide weapons to Russia in the future to support the country's ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
"We do not and will not supply weapons to parties in conflict," Foreign Minister Qin Gang said in Beijing after nearly two hours of talks with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock.
He stated that dual-use goods, which could be used for both civilian and military purposes, were subject to legal restrictions.
According to Qin Gang, China's role in Ukraine was to promote reconciliation and advance peace talks.
"We will not continue to pour oil on the fire," he declared.
His remarks came after Baerbock urged China to press Russian President Vladimir Putin harder to end the Kremlin's war on Ukraine.
She claimed that Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Moscow demonstrated that no other country wields more power in Russia than China.
"The decision on how it uses this influence directly affects Europe's core interests," said Baerbock.
She hoped that, just as China had successfully encouraged peaceful reconciliation between Iran and Saudi Arabia, China would encourage Russia to finally end its aggression in Ukraine and engage in peaceful conflict resolution.
China, she said, had a special responsibility as a permanent member of the Security Council.
She praised Beijing for signalling its commitment to finding a solution, referring to China's 12-point position paper, which was criticised in the West.
"However, I must admit that I am puzzled as to why the Chinese position has not included a call for the aggressor Russia to end the war."
"We all know President Putin will have the opportunity to do that at any time," said Baerbock.
She stressed the importance of "not allowing arms shipments to Russia that prolong this aggression, as well as preventing dual-use goods from being used for war."
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