China rebuts NATO's accusation, says Beijing didn't create Ukraine crisis

China has warned NATO against "provoking confrontation" over its ties with Russia, after the alliance accused it of playing a key role in helping Moscow's assault on Ukraine, saying the declaration is full of "belligerent rhetoric… lies, incitement and smears."

"NATO should stop hyping up the so-called China threat and provoking confrontation and rivalry, and do more to contribute to world peace and stability," a spokesperson for Beijing's mission to the European Union said in a statement on its website on Thursday.

"As we all know, China is not the creator of the crisis in Ukraine."

"China's core position on the Ukraine issue is to promote peace talks and political settlement, which has been widely recognised and appreciated by the international community," said the spokesperson.

In its final communique at Washington summit, NATO bloc said that China has become a "decisive enabler" of Russia's war effort in Ukraine, and Beijing continues to pose systemic challenges to Europe and to security.

The sternly worded communique, approved by the 32 NATO members at their summit in Washington DC, makes clear that China is becoming a focus of the military alliance.

"The PRC [China] cannot enable the largest war in Europe in recent history without this negatively impacting its interests and reputation," the document said.

'Beyond reproach'

Beijing insists that it does not provide military aid to Russia but has maintained strong trade ties with its northern neighbour throughout the conflict. It also accuses NATO of overreaching and inciting confrontation in the Asia-Pacific region.

The Chinese embassy in Washington said China is neither a creator of nor a party to the Ukraine crisis.

"China does not provide weapons to the parties to the conflict and strictly controls the export of dual-use articles, which is widely applauded by the international community," said Liu Pengyu, the embassy spokesperson.

He said China's normal trade with Russia is "done aboveboard" and "beyond reproach."

"Hyping up the so-called 'China threat' is completely futile," Liu said, adding Beijing firmly opposes NATO's use of regional hotspot issues to smear China and incite a new Cold War.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said China provides equipment, microelectronics and tools that are "enabling Russia to build the missiles, to build the bombs, to build the aircraft, to build the weapons they use to attack Ukraine."

Beijing put forward a 12-point paper more than a year ago that set out general principles for ending the war, but did not get into specifics. It received a lukewarm reception at the time in both Russia and Ukraine.

For its part, China has repeatedly lashed out at NATO criticisms and has warned against its expansion into the Asia-Pacific region.

Leaders of Japan, South Korea, New Zealand and Australia, in attendance at NATO summit, have forged stronger ties with the security alliance.

On Wednesday, a spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry said: "We firmly oppose NATO acting beyond its characterisation as a regional defenccive alliance, inserting itself into the Asia-Pacific to incite confrontation and rivalry, and disrupting the prosperity and stability in this region."