China does not want war in Ukraine, but sanctions are not helpful too: Minister

The Chinese government is not interested in a conflict in Ukraine, but, at the same time, it does not believe that sanctions can help in resolving the crisis, Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe told the Shangri-La Dialogue security forum in Singapore on Sunday, reports BSS quoting Russian news agency TASS.

“A conflict or a war is the last thing that China would want to see in Ukraine. At the same time, we do not believe that maximum pressure or sanctions can solve the problem. It may cause even more tensions and make the problem even worse,” the official said in a speech, broadcast live on YouTube.

The government of China supports the dialogue between Russia and Ukraine and hopes that the United States and NATO would hold talks with Russia for a soonest ceasefire, Fenghe told.

“China supports negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. We also hope that the US and NATO would hold talks with Russia to create conditions for a soonest ceasefire,” he said.

China has never provided any material support to Russia amid the crisis in Ukraine, Fenghe added.

“With regard to the Ukrainian crisis: China has never provided any material support to Russia,” he said.