China has told Ukraine that their bilateral relations could be damaged after Kyiv designated more than a dozen Chinese companies as “international sponsors of war,” Reuters reported on Feb. 1, citing two senior Ukrainian sources familiar with the matter.
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The warning was communicated last month at a meeting of China’s ambassador to Ukraine with senior Ukrainian government officials.
“China firmly opposes the inclusion of Chinese enterprises in the relevant list and demands that Ukraine immediately correct its mistakes and eliminate negative impacts,” a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson told the journalists.
Beijing has not set any conditions or “temporary frameworks” for Kyiv as a result but had simply expressed its view about the list. The second source suggested that Beijing could link the matter to Chinese purchases of Ukrainian grain.
Ukraine has listed 48 companies, including 14 from China, as “international sponsors of war” whose business activities it says indirectly contribute to the Russian war effort.
Read also: Ukraine wants China to participate in negotiations to end the war — Yermak
Beijing has close ties with Moscow and refrains from criticizing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but also said the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries must be respected. It has offered to help mediate in the war.
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Despite Kyiv’s efforts to improve relations with Beijing, the Ukrainian delegation at the World Economic Forum in Davos did not meet with Chinese officials attending the event, Politico reported on Jan. 17.
On Dec. 20, 2023, Chinese President Xi Jinping, during a meeting with Russian PM Mikhail Mishustin, stated his plan to “expand” ties with Moscow.
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