China rejects groundless accusations, political manipulation over Zelensky’s claim of arming Russia

In response to an inquiry about a Reuters report that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that China was supplying weapons and gunpowder to Russia, the first time he has openly accused Beijing of direct military assistance for Moscow, the Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian said on Friday that China's position on the Ukraine issue remains consistent and clear.

"We have worked actively for a ceasefire and to promote peace talks. We have never provided lethal weapons to any party to the conflict, and strictly controlled the export of dual-use items," Lin said on Friday's press briefing.

Ukraine knows that clearly and has said publicly that most of Russia's imported military components came from the US and other Western countries. China firmly opposes groundless accusations and political manipulation, said Lin.

Weapons are directly used on the battlefield, while gunpowder is a dual-use item, meaning it can be used for both military and civilian purposes, Song Zhongping, a Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times on Friday. 

"China strictly controls the export of both types of items. The Chinese government has long made it clear that it will not provide weapons or any dual-use items, including gunpowder, to either side in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. This position has been consistent and unwavering," Song noted. 

Song pointed out that the root cause behind such accusations could be the unfavorable situation on the battlefield for Ukraine. 

Russian forces are trying out a new tactic of larger-scale assaults involving several hundred troops, Reuters reported, citing Ukraine's military. 

The change signals a possible break with the tactics which Russia has leant on for over two years, sending in tiny groups of infantry to seep slowly through Ukrainian lines, according to Reuters. 

Meanwhile, Ukraine said on Thursday that Kiev and Washington had signed a memorandum as an initial step toward clinching an agreement on developing mineral resources in Ukraine, and US President Donald Trump said the accord could be signed next week, Reuters reported on Friday. 

The Ukrainian side has been facing mounting pressure to reach a deal with the US, which may also have led to such groundless accusations against China, as it might be a way for the country to gain more support from Western countries, especially by pressuring the US, Cui Heng, a scholar from the Shanghai-based China National Institute for SCO International Exchange and Judicial Cooperation, told the Global Times on Friday. 

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned on Friday that if it is not possible to end the war in Ukraine, the US needs to abandon its efforts within "days" and move on, CNN reported. 

In recent years, China has introduced a series of measures on export control of dual-use items. One of the recent measures includes the regulations that came into effect on December 1, 2024. The regulations include detailed measures for license management, control list and supervision of export control of dual-use items, as reported by the Xinhua News Agency.