CHINA’S foreign minister said his country does not want to be impacted by Western economic sanctions on Russia, reported state media today, as pressure grows on Beijing to withdraw support from an isolated Moscow.

“China is not a party to the crisis, still less wants to be affected by the sanctions,” said Wang Yi, according to a read-out of a phone call with his Spanish counterpart, Jose Manuel Albares, published today.

China has “always opposed using sanctions to solve problems, let alone unilateral sanctions that has no basis in international law, which will… harm people’s livelihood in all countries”.

Almost three weeks after Russian troops marched into Ukraine, Moscow’s forces have bombarded and besieged several cities and towns.

Fighting has killed thousands and destroyed infrastructure, as well as causing millions to flee the country.

Wang’s comments were published after a seven-hour meeting between high-ranking Chinese and US officials in Rome, at which Washington said the US has expressed concern about “alignment” between China and Russia.

Beijing and Moscow have drawn closer in recent times, in what Washington sees as an increasingly hostile alliance of the authoritarian nuclear powers.

Beijing has not openly condemned Moscow’s acts in Ukraine, and US media reported that Russia asked China for military and economic aid, as its troops struggle to make ground and its economy faces devastation from Western sanctions.

China’s senior diplomat Yang Jiechi reiterated the country’s stance that it is “committed to promoting peace talks”, reported the official Xinhua news agency today.

Beijing called on all parties to exercise “maximum restraint” and “protect civilians” in the Ukraine crisis at the meeting yesterday.

Yang said the international community should support such talks to achieve substantive results as soon as possible.

Washington hopes Beijing can use its influence on Putin.

Although China does not back the Western sanctions, the White House is pressuring the second-largest economy in the world to refrain from rescuing Russia from potential default or sending weaponry. – AFP, March 15, 2022.