NATO Military Committee chair, Chinese diplomat clash over Beijing’s stance on Russian aggression
Rob Bauer (Photo:REUTERS/Janis Laizans)
During the Arctic Circle Assembly, the Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Rob Bauer, and the Chinese Ambassador to Iceland, He Rulong, had an "unusually frank exchange", Bloomberg reported on Oct. 15.
The altercation allegedly occurred because of China's failure to condemn Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. During his speech, Bauer stated that Beijing "doesn’t share our values and undermines the rules-based international order.”
The Chinese ambassador spoke up from the audience and said: "Admiral, with due respect, your speech and remarks are filled with arrogance."
In response, the NATO representative said that China talks about the importance of sovereignty and internationally recognized borders, but for some reason has not yet condemned the deployment of Russian troops in Ukraine.
"I am correct, isn’t that true?" inquired Bauer.
“Yeah. So why is it possible then that China still is not condemning Russia’s attack in Ukraine?”
He Rulong called the war a "Ukraine crisis" and China a "peacemaker in the world," which drew laughter from the audience, and explained that Beijing's view of the invasion includes a historical perspective, and the world should "understand the root cause."
The UN General Assembly adopted an anti-Russian resolution condemning attempts to annex Ukrainian territories on Oct. 12. It was supported by 143 countries, five opposed, and 35 abstained, including China.
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba is convinced that the position of China, which does not actively support the aggressor state, is beneficial for Ukraine.
Earlier, some media reported that the United States hopes to change the mind of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and force him to abandon nuclear threats via pressure from India and China.
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