Beijing, 14 April 2023 (dpa/MIA) - The Chinese government underlined that it will not provide weapons to Russia in support of Moscow's ongoing invasion of Ukraine, now or in the future.

"We do not and will not supply weapons to parties in conflict," said Foreign Minister Qin Gang after almost two hours of talks with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock in Beijing.

He also said that dual-use goods, which can be used for civilian as well as military purposes, are controlled by law.

The Chinese role in Ukraine is to promote reconciliation and advance peace negotiations, said Qin Gang. "We will not continue to pour oil on the fire," he declared after the official translation.

His comments came after Baerbock urged China to more strongly encourage Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the Kremlin's war on Ukraine.

She said Chinese leader Xi Jinping's visit to Moscow had shown that no other country had more influence on Russia than China. "The decision on how it uses this influence directly affects Europe's core interests," Baerbock said.

Just as China had successfully engaged in peaceful reconciliation between Iran and Saudi Arabia, it is hoped that China will encourage Russia to finally end its aggression in Ukraine and engage in peaceful conflict resolution, she said.

China, as a permanent member of the Security Council, also has a special responsibility, Baerbock said.

She commended Beijing for signalling its commitment to finding a solution, referring to a 12-point position paper issued by China that was criticized in the West.

"But I have to say frankly that I wonder why the Chinese positioning so far does not include calling on the aggressor Russia to stop the war. We all know President Putin would have the opportunity to do that at any time," Baerbock said.

She said it was equally crucial "not to allow arms shipments to Russia that further prolong this aggression and also to prevent dual-use goods from being used for war."

Photo: MIA archive