EU Set to Exclude China From Condemnation of Russia’s Supporters
(Bloomberg) -- European Union leaders are set to avoid directly calling out China for its support of Russia’s war against Ukraine, according to a draft statement they plan to adopt at a summit in Brussels this week.
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The statement, which could still change before leaders endorse it Thursday, “strongly condemns” Iran and North Korea for supporting Russia’s war, providing weapons to Moscow, and in Pyongyang’s case, troops, according to a draft seen by Bloomberg.
Several EU states had pushed to include China in the condemnation and could raise the omission at the summit, according to people familiar with the discussions who were granted anonymity to discuss sensitive topics.
One of the people said Ukraine had asked the EU not to put China on the same level as Iran and North Korea. But a Ukrainian official denied that, saying Kyiv didn’t make such a request.
The EU’s reticence in shaming China contrasts with its latest round of sanctions, which targets several Chinese companies for helping Russia develop attack drones and evade EU trade restrictions on technologies used in weapons or needed to make them.
China and Hong Kong remain by far the largest suppliers of restricted critical technologies to Russia. Beijing’s support has increased in recent months and includes geospatial intelligence that aids Russian strikes against Ukraine, Bloomberg previously reported.
That has led the Group of Seven to ramp up its criticism of China, calling Beijing an enabler of Russia’s war earlier this year. NATO has used similar language.
--With assistance from Daryna Krasnolutska.
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