US puts pressure, China declares to maintain stance on Ukraine crisis
Beijing has said it will not change its stance on the current Ukraine crisis due to US pressure.
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| Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian. Photo: AFP |
Speaking at a press conference on March 18, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said Beijing holds an “independent position” on the Ukraine crisis. The comment was made in response to a threat made by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken a day earlier, saying Washington would make China pay a price if it chose to support Moscow.
Mr. Zhao Lijian affirmed that on the Ukraine issue alone, China has always acted objectively and made independent assessments based on the nature of the problem. He believes that the US's pressure will not change Beijing's stance. Some US officials are still trying to spread false information about China's stance, which Mr. Zhao Lijian considers irresponsible and unhelpful in handling the crisis.
According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, the US needs to seriously review its role in the Ukraine crisis, shoulder its goodwill responsibility and take actions to help ease tensions and resolve the problem, instead of "adding fuel to the fire".
