‘On the right side of history…’: China's defiance amid the Ukraine war

While China has expressed concerns about the Russia-Ukraine war, and also called on NATO nations to hold a dialogue with Russia, it has failed to condemn or blame Moscow for its invasion and assault on Ukraine.

In the midst of Ukraine war, China has said it is "on the right side of the history" even as the global pressure mounts to isolate Moscow. Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi, in his latest remarks, has said, “China's position is in line with the wishes of most countries. China will never accept any external coercion or pressure, and opposes any unfounded accusations and suspicions. Time will prove that China's claims are on the right side of history." The comments - reported by news agency Reuters - come after the United States warned Xi Jinping over his support to the Kremlin in a call on Friday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.(via Reuters)

US president Joe Biden on Friday during a video call with Xi Jinping, warned the Chinese president of ‘consequences’, if China gives any material support to Moscow in its assault on Ukraine. While China has expressed concerns about the war and called on NATO nations to hold a dialogue with Russia, it has failed to condemn or blame Moscow for its invasion and assault on Ukraine. According to a statement by the Chinese foreign minister, the most important message sent by Xi was that "China has always been a force for maintaining world peace".

Indicating support to Russia, Chinese vice foreign minister Le Yucheng on Saturday called the sanctions imposed by Western nations on Moscow "outrageous". According to Beijing, Russia has legitimate ‘security concerns’, and has urged for a diplomatic solution to the conflict. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, several Western nations including the United States, and its European and Asian allies have imposed sanctions on Moscow - as an act of condemning the attack on Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov has said that Russia's co-operation with China will ‘only get stronger’. “At a time when the west is blatantly undermining all the foundations on which the international system is based, we, as two great powers, need to think how to carry on in this world,” Lavrov said during a media event on Saturday, news agency ANI reported.

(With inputs from Reuters and other agencies)