China rejects US claims over support for Russia
Beijing lashed out on Monday against what it said were "false" claims by the United States that China is considering arming Russia in its war against Ukraine. "It is the United States and not China that is endlessly shipping weapons to the battlefield," Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said when asked about the US claims. "We urge the United States to earnestly reflect on its own actions, and do more to alleviate the situation, promote peace and dialogue, and stop shifting blame and spreading false information." The statement came after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told CBS in an interview that China was now "considering providing lethal support" to Moscow ranging "from ammunition to the weapons themselves". He made similar comments in a series of interviews from Germany, where on Saturday he attended the Munich Security Conference and met with senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi. "We do not accept the United States' finger-pointing on China-Russia relations, let alone coercion and pressure," spokesman Wang Wenbin said. "China's direction on the Ukraine issue can be summed up in one phrase, which is urging peace and promoting dialogue." (AFP)