According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, China's ties with Russia remain "reliable", despite international criticism of the two countries' relations. This was stated by the official representative of the ministry, Zhao Lijian.
"As each other's biggest neighbor and a comprehensive strategic coordination partner in the new era, China and Russia always adhere to the principles of non-alignment, non-confrontation and non-targeting of any third party, being reliable partners," Zhao Lijian said.
It will be recalled that Beijing called on all parties to exercise restraint after Putin sent his troops into Ukraine at the end of February.
"China is closely monitoring the latest situation, and we call on all parties to exercise restraint and prevent the situation from getting out of control," said an official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Chinese government refused to call the invasion a war and urged Western countries to respect Russia's "legitimate security interests."