China said Wednesday that “any accusation must be based on facts” when referring to the massacre perpetrated in the Ukrainian city of Bucha, on the outskirts of Kiev, where many bodies have been found in its streets following the withdrawal of Russian troops in recent days.
“The reports and images about the deaths of civilians in Bucha are deeply disturbing, but we must ascertain the truth. Humanitarian issues should not be politicized, and any accusations must be based on facts,” Foreign Ministry Spokesman Zhao Lijian said.
Photographs of bodies lying in the streets of this city located at the gates of Kiev, from which Russian troops withdrew a few days ago, prompted massive international condemnation and a call to strengthen international sanctions.
Russia has rejected any responsibility for the Bucha massacres and accused Kiev of making false images. However, multiple independent testimonies and investigations confirmed Russian authorship of the massacre. The United States called for those responsible for war crimes to be brought to justice.
“All parties must show restraint and avoid unfounded accusations before the results of the investigation are delivered,” the Chinese spokesman said.
“China supports all efforts to help alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. We will continue to work with the international community to prevent any harm to civilians,” he said.
The Chinese regime, which shares the same animosity towards the United States with Russia, has not yet condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine. On the contrary, it maintained an ambiguous position, calling for respect for the territorial integrity of all countries and in which it avoided using the word “invasion” to refer to the Russian offensive, while reiterating its opposition to sanctions against Moscow.
Beijing has also insisted on promoting dialogue and peace talks.
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