China calls for ceasefire in Ukraine; slams NATO's 'barbaric atrocity' at UNSC

China's Ambassador to the United Nations (UN) Zhang Jun has called on the international community to step up efforts to promote a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine as the war between the two continued for the tenth week. Addressing the UNSC on May 5, he demanded minimisation of the humanitarian impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and said that the world should learn lessons from the crisis. 

During his speech, the Chinese diplomat also slammed North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) for bombarding a Chinese Embassy in Yugoslavia. He said, “On May 7, 1999, NATO fired several missiles at the Chinese Embassy in Yugoslavia, killing three Chinese journalists and injuring more than 20 Chinese diplomats. The Chinese people will never forget this barbaric atrocity, and will never allow such history to repeat itself.''

China trades with Russia amidst war 

Meanwhile, it has been reported that China's private refiners have been secretly purchasing Russian oil at substantial discounts at a time when Western countries are contemplating an embargo on Moscow's oil for its unjustified invasion of Ukraine. As per the Financial Times, an official of an independent refinery in Shandong, Eastern China, stated the company had not publicly acknowledged dealings with Russian oil suppliers since the onset of war in an attempt to avoid US sanctions, Sputnik reported. According to the report, the refinery has taken over a portion of the Russian crude purchase quotas from state-owned commodity trading enterprises, which are seen as Beijing's face, and have mostly refused to sign new supply contracts.

"The purchases from China's independent refineries reveal how some importers are bypassing traditional routes to access cheap Russian oil, helping Beijing maintain a low profile as the West barrages Moscow with sanctions," the UK daily added. Meanwhile, an executive of the company stated that the Shandong refinery is cautious while purchasing Russian commodities. He further warned that if the US imposes secondary penalties on third-country companies doing business with Russia, the company's Singaporean trading arm could close. 

It has been 72 days since Russia launched an all-out war against its western neighbour Ukraine. While death and obliteration have only risen since then, Turkey has vowed to broker a peace treaty. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's govt along with international community has bolstered efforts to evacuated citizens and troops from Mariupol's Azovstal Steel Plant. EU is weighting costs of latest sanctions.

Image: AP