BEIJING, May 30. /TASS/. Disinformation in the Western media about Ukraine has become unbearable even for officials in Kiev who maintain good contacts with the West, an assistant research fellow from the Center for Russian Studies of East China Normal University, Cui Heng, has said.
"The latest Wall Street Journal report [about remarks by the Chinese government’s special envoy for Eurasia Li Hui for Russia and Ukraine - TASS] is part of the disinformation campaign which even some Ukrainian officials who have friendly ties with the West, like [Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry] Kuleba, can no longer tolerate," the Chinese daily Global Times quotes him as saying.
The Wall Street Journal reported Friday, citing sources, that Li Hui, during a visit to Europe, called for an immediate cease-fire in Ukraine and the preservation of new regions within Russia. Li visited Ukraine, Poland, France, Germany, the EU headquarters and Russia on May 15-26.
As Cui emphasized, Kiev's statement "shows how groundless and childish" the corresponding statements of the Western media are. He recalled that "even before Li departed for this trip, some Western media downplayed the trip's prospects and even attacked China's motives."
The authors of the article in Global Times note that "it was not the first time that US media outlets, under the influence of Washington, spread disinformation about China over the Ukraine crisis." Some media, as they note, have hyped up China's alleged "consideration" of sending weapons to Russia, and have distorted China-Russia relations as an "alliance of autocracies."
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a news conference on Monday that the Western media should rely on official Chinese information about statements made by Li Hui during his recent international trip. She drew attention to a statement by Kuleba, who claimed that China's special envoy for Eurasian affairs did not propose keeping the new regions within Russia, contrary to what The Wall Street Journal wrote. The states that the special envoy visited have not confirmed that the Chinese envoy made such statements.