China demanded on Thursday that the U.S., in handling the Ukraine issue and relations with Russia, shall not harm the legitimate rights and interests of China.

Zhao Lijian, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, made the remarks at a regular press briefing in response to recent questions by the U.S. and some other countries that China didn't take concrete actions to solve the crisis in Ukraine and claims by some U.S. tanks that China's "balanced strategies" on Ukraine-Russia conflicts don't play any constructive role.

"China firmly opposes all forms of unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction by the United States," the spokesperson said at a regular press.  

Countries accusing China of standing on the sidelines of Ukraine issues should ask themselves who the culprit behind the current crisis is and who drove NATO's five rounds of eastward expansion, he said.

China always forms its own position and policy according to the merits of the matter itself and plays a constructive role in peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, Zhao stressed. On the second day of the conflict, President Xi Jinping called for solving the crisis through negotiations in a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. On Tuesday, President Xi also held a virtual summit with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, encouraging the two sides to keep the momentum of negotiations, to overcome difficulties, and to keep the talks going and bring about peaceful outcomes.

Noting that peace and security cannot be achieved through sanctions, which will only cause severe difficulties to the economy and people's life in the countries involved and intensify division and confrontation, the spokesperson said that China would react firmly if legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies and individuals harmed. 

(Cover photo: Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian holds a regular press conference, December 20, 2021, in Beijing, China. /CFP)