BEIJING, February 1. /TASS/. The Chinese government has not changed its position on the Ukrainian issue and hopes for a de-escalation of the conflict, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Wang Wenbin said, commenting on Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun's statement on China's support for Russia on the Ukraine issue.
"We hope that each of the [relevant] sides will make efforts to help de-escalate and create favorable conditions for resolving the crisis politically," he stressed at the briefing, responding to a question from a Ukrainian journalist who, citing Dong's recent statement, asked whether Beijing had "abandoned its neutral stance on the Ukraine issue" and "what kind of support China has been providing to Russia."
According to the Chinese diplomat, "nothing has changed" in Beijing's position. He noted that China continues to take an "unchanged and clear position" on this issue.
Dong said earlier during his talks with Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu that the Chinese authorities will not abandon their support for Russia on the Ukrainian issue despite ongoing US pressure and the threat of disruption to Beijing's defense cooperation with Brussels.