ukrain - pic Andy Vermaut
China has been cautious about Ukraine at a time when Russia has amassed thousands of troops along its borders.
China has criticized the West over its announcement of new sanctions on Russia after it ordered troops to be sent to Ukraine’s two breakaway regions (which it now recognizes as independent).
Earlier, US President Joe Biden had stressed that this was only the first step in sanctions.
He added that further sanctions would be imposed if Russian President Vladimir Putin advanced his forces beyond the two regions in the eastern Donbass region.
China has criticized Washington over the sanctions, saying it was sending weapons to Ukraine to escalate tensions.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters that US actions were adding to tensions, creating panic and even scheduling war.
Following the Russian president’s decision to send troops to Donetsk and Luhansk, the United States, Britain, the European Union, Japan and Australia announced sanctions.
Joe Biden said Washington would continue to supply Ukraine with defensive weapons against the Russian invasion and would deploy US troops to bolster NATO allies in Eastern Europe.
“Let me make it clear that these are completely defensive measures on our part,” he said in a televised speech at the White House.