Russia invades Ukraine: China asks US to publish data on military biological labs in Kyiv

Launching a scathing attack on the United States for sowing discord in the Ukraine-Russia all-out war, China on Monday demanded that Washington reveal the details of the biological labs that it had established in Ukraine. Beijing also took a swipe related to the COVID-19 pandemic, as it asked the US to unveil the information regarding the type of viruses that it had stored for research purposes in Kyiv. The two hostile nations traded barbs after China’s foreign minister clarified that Russia is its “most important strategic partner” in response to the West’s demands of imposing sanctions on Moscow for its military offensive. Beijing, however, refused to condemn Russia’s what it calls military intervention. 

In a tweet, the Chinese state media asked: “China urges the US to disclose details on US-financed biological labs in Ukraine, including types of viruses stored and research has been conducted, said a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, calling on all parties to ensure the safety of these labs given the current situation.”

Beijing’s attack on Washington came as the US and European Union (EU) roped it in demanding that the communist nation must use so-called “influence” on Moscow and change the course of the invasion, diverting authoritarian leader Putin to a path of dialogue. China, however, warned against political controversy and clarified that it seeks the two warring sides to reach a diplomatic and peaceful settlement to the conflict.

'We will maintain our strategic focus': China tells US, EU & West

“No matter how perilous the international landscape, we will maintain our strategic focus and promote the development of a comprehensive China-Russia partnership in the new era,” China’s foreign minister Wang Yi said at a news conference on the sidelines of the annual meeting of China’s ceremonial parliament. Wang asserted that China’s ties with Moscow constitute “one of the most crucial bilateral relationships in the world.”

Washington and Beijing were also at loggerheads after the West slapped barrage of sanctions on Moscow. A senior Biden administration official riled up controversy after making comments that China, a staunch Russian ally, will not come to its rescue after the series of Western financial sanctions on Moscow over its assault on Ukraine. The remarks came as the EU and the West discussed more punitive measures to penalise Russia and cut off several Moscow banks from the SWIFT system, an international payment network used for trillions of dollars worth of transactions worldwide.

The official made remarks on reports that several Chinese public banks had considered limiting funding to purchase raw materials from Russia due to the Western sanctions. At least two of China's largest state-owned banks, ICBC and Bank of China, were mulling restriction of funding for the purchase of Russian commodities. 

Hitting back at the United States, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian on Twitter said: “Never forget who’s the real threat to the world,” referring to America’s many foreign invasions. “We have never invaded other countries, never engaged in proxy wars, never sought spheres of influence, or participated in military bloc confrontation,” he went on to remind the US. He then shared a “US bombing list” that included all the countries that have been targeted by the US since the end of World War-II. 

Image: AP/Unsplash