Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said that Beijing accused Washington of fomenting the war by not excluding Ukraine from NATO membership.
Wang added: “We hope that the perpetrator of the conflict addresses his role in the Ukrainian crisis, assumes his responsibilities, and takes practical measures to de-escalate the situation and solve the problem instead of blaming others.”
He continued, “The New York Times report is pure fake news. Such distraction behavior is very despicable.”
The Times quoted this news on a “Western intelligence report” that officials considered credible.
“The report indicates that senior Chinese officials had some level of first-hand knowledge of Russia’s war plans or intentions before the invasion began last week,” the newspaper wrote.
Russian President Vladimir Putin met his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing on February 4, hours before the start of the Olympic Games.
The two leaders then issued a joint statement declaring that “the friendship between the two countries knows no bounds.”
In the statement, China supported Russia’s opposition to the further expansion of NATO, and demanded that the alliance “respect the sovereignty and security of other countries.”
For its part, Russia has reaffirmed its support for China’s claim to Taiwan, the self-governing island, which Beijing threatens to annex by force if necessary.
The Times said it was not clear whether coordination over the invasion occurred between Xi and Putin, or at a lower level, but the intelligence report noted that “high-ranking Chinese officials have some level of first-hand knowledge of Russia’s plans or intentions regarding the start of the invasion last week.”
China is the only major government that has not criticized Moscow’s attack on Ukraine, and has also ruled out joining US and European governments in imposing financial sanctions on Russia.
Beijing has supported Russia’s narrative that Moscow’s security is threatened by NATO’s eastern expansion.
China abstained from voting at the emergency session of the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday to demand an immediate halt to Moscow’s attack on Ukraine and the withdrawal of all Russian forces.
“Unfortunately, the draft resolution submitted to the emergency special session of the General Assembly did not undergo full consultation with all members, and did not take into account the history and complexity of the current crisis,” Wang said.
“It did not highlight the importance of the principle of indivisible security, or the urgent need to strengthen political settlement and intensify diplomatic efforts. This is not in line with China’s consistent position. Therefore, we had no choice but to abstain,” he added.
Russia attacked Georgia during the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, angering some Chinese leaders, as well as the Chinese people.