Shangri-La Dialogue: Zelensky says China’s ‘support to Russia’ will extend war in Ukraine during surprise appearance in Asia

Singapore CNN — China’s support to Russia will extend the war in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday, as he called on countries across the Asia-Pacific to join an upcoming peace summit he accused Russia of trying to thwart. Zelensky alluded to such support in comments Sunday, saying certain elements that make up parts of Russia’s weaponry “come from China.” The Ukrainian leader also warned that Russia was attempting to pressure countries not to join the upcoming international peace summit – with China’s help. China last week said it would not send a delegation to the peace summit, saying any international peace conference should have “recognition by both Russia and Ukraine, equal participation by all parties, and fair discussion of all peace plans.” Chinese Minister of National Defense Dong Jun in an address earlier Sunday said China had been “promoting peace talks with a responsible attitude.” Dong also appeared to respond to US allegations that China is bolstering Russia’s defense industrial base with dual-use exports, saying in his remarks that China has not provided weapons to either side in the conflict and had put “stricter control” on dual-use exports. When asked about Zelensky’s comments during a regular press briefing in Beijing Monday, a spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry defended China’s trade with Russia as “above board,” adding it was “certainly not against the peace summit” and there was “no pressure on other countries.” “We also attach great importance to our relations with Ukraine … China and Ukraine have maintained communication and cooperation since the Ukrainian crisis escalated,” spokesperson Mao Ning said. The summit, he said, would address three points of his peace formula, including “nuclear security, food security, and the release of prisoners of war,” as well as “Ukrainian children abducted by Russia” and enable countries to come to a consensus on peace in Ukraine that could be “passed to Russia.” The International Criminal Court in The Hague last year issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for an alleged scheme to deport Ukrainian children to Russia.