China’s foreign ministry today rebuffed claims that it is supplying Russia with helicopters, drones, optical sights and crucial metals used by the defense industry.
Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson of the ministry, told a regular press briefing today that China conducts normal trade with other countries in the world, including Russia, based on the principle of equality and mutual benefit.
Wang’s remarks were in response to a Telegraph report alleging that a Chinese company had sent 1,000 drones to Russia in the months leading up to its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The firm labeled itself as “a wholesaler of children’s toys” and shipped the drones to a Russian shell company that also listed itself as a toy seller, the Telegraph report said.
Wang, the spokesperson, dismissed the reports as false and mudslinging, saying that China has been prudent on military export and that its stance and action are consistent.
With regard to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, China has always encouraged them to begin peace negotiation and will continue to play a constructive role in defusing tensions.
Compared to some countries that keep fanning the flames, China has no hidden agenda or harbored any malicious intent, said Wang, adding that this is plain to see for the international community.
China imposed a set of restrictions in late July on the export of Chinese-made drones, in an apparent bid to deflect Western criticisms that it is supplying lethal aid to assist Russia’s war effort in Ukraine.
