China's Embassy to US rejects Financial Times claims
The Chinese Embassy to the US denies that Russia had asked China to back its operation with weapons and supplies.
Following allegations by the Financial Times that Russia asked China for aid in its special operation with weapons and supplies, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy said on Sunday.
Speaking to Reuters, spokesperson Liu Pengyu said he had "never heard of that," asserting that China's aim is to keep Russia's special military operation in Ukraine from spiraling out of control.
"The current situation in Ukraine is indeed disconcerting. The high priority now is to prevent the tense situation from escalating or even getting out of control," he said.
The Financial Times report alleged, citing unnamed US officials, that the US will issue a warning to its allies amid reports that China will assist Russia in its military operation in Ukraine, claiming that Russia was running out of weapons and supplies.
The White House announced on Sunday that an American group led by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan will meet with a Chinese delegation in Rome on March 14 to discuss bilateral relations and the situation in Ukraine.
Sullivan will meet with Yang Jiechi, a Chinese Communist Party Politburo Member and Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission.
“The two sides will discuss ongoing efforts to manage the competition between our two countries and discuss the impact of 'Russia’s war' against Ukraine on regional and global security,” the White House said in a statement.