China denies labeling the Russian attack on Ukraine as an 'invasion' and shifts responsibility onto the U.S.

• Hua Chunying, China's assistant foreign minister, evaded giving a definitive answer when asked by reporters if Russia's attacks constituted an invasion.
• Hua seemed to be frustrated with a reporter's question and responded, "How do they want to put out the fire if the U.S. has been fueling it?"

During a news conference on Thursday, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson declined to label Russia's attack as an "invasion."

Earlier today, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared an attack on Ukraine, which resulted in explosions in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities. Ukraine's military is currently fighting within its borders, and President Volodimyr Zelenskyy has described the violence as an invasion aimed at destroying the country.

Condemnation of the Russian attack was swiftly issued by leaders from the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom and other countries within hours.

Hua Chunying, China's assistant foreign minister, evaded giving a definitive answer when asked by reporters if Russia's attacks constituted an invasion.

Hua seemed to be frustrated with a reporter's question and responded, "How do they want to put out the fire if the U.S. has been fueling it?"

That’s according to an official translation of her Mandarin-language remarks.

Russia is an "independent major country" capable of making its own decisions, as Hua stated. She frequently cited Russian government statements regarding Ukraine, including the assertion from Moscow's Defense Ministry that Russian military forces would not attack Ukrainian cities.

Reports emerged on Thursday of explosions in Odessa, Kharkiv, and Mariupol, along with fighting and fatalities in other parts of the country. Officials confirmed that dozens of soldiers and civilians had been killed by Thursday afternoon.

China is closely monitoring the situation's progress. Unfortunately, what we see today is not what we had hoped to see," Hua stated. "We hope all parties can return to dialogue and negotiation.

On Thursday, the ministry announced that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had a conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Wang stated that China values every country's sovereignty and that the Ukraine issue is a complex one, according to the official statement.

Wang advocated for dialogue, but did not reference Beijing's prior official statements regarding the importance of all parties exercising restraint.

This week, Putin recognized the independence of two separatist regions in eastern Ukraine despite attempts by the U.S. and Europe to prevent an attack through sanctions on Russian individuals, financial institutions, and sovereign debt.

But on Thursday the long-feared Russian invasion of Ukraine began.

Tong Zhao, a senior fellow in the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, based in Beijing, stated that China is sympathetic to Russian perspectives.

According to him, Russia's actions were driven by China's belief that NATO expansion and U.S. threats were the reasons behind it. In essence, he stated that China feels Russia felt compelled to act in its own interests.

Zhao stated that China wants to avoid being associated with Russia, which is currently facing widespread international condemnation and criticism.

"China has been cautious in its public statements regarding Russian behavior due to its potential impact on China's security and relationship with Taiwan," he stated.

Beijing consistently states its goal of reunifying with Taiwan, an island situated near mainland China and governed democratically but claimed by the People's Republic of China.

Official statements from both the U.S. and China revealed that China's foreign minister Wang and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed Ukraine in a phone call on Tuesday as tensions escalated earlier in the week.

Ahead of the opening ceremony in early February, Putin met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. The call followed the closing of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games on Sunday.

‘No limits’ on cooperation with Russia

The two leaders issued a statement following the meeting, stating that they opposed the expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and emphasized that there were no restrictions on cooperation between Russia and China.

Zhao stated that China is unlikely to alter its stance on Russia, but it will maintain a distance from a situation that experts in China previously misinterpreted in a climate of strict information control.

Beijing time, Wang Jisi, president of the Institute of International and Strategic Studies at Peking University, stated that China believes Russia's military action is not as imminent as the Americans' observation.

Wang spoke with Scott Kennedy, the China Business and Economics Trustee Chair of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, during a rare trip to the U.S. as part of a livestreamed conversation.

Wang believes that China is moving closer to Russia and the relationship between China and the US is deteriorating, but this could be a pivotal moment for the three countries to reevaluate their relationship with one another.