China is “deeply worried” about the escalation of the Ukraine conflict and the possibility of the situation spiralling out of control, China’s foreign minister Qin Gang said on Tuesday.

Beijing, which last year struck a “no limits” partnership with Moscow, has refrained from condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The United States has warned of consequences if China provides military support to Russia, which Beijing says it is not doing.

“We urge certain countries to immediately stop fuelling the fire,” Qin said during a speech.

“We stand firmly against any form of hegemony, against any foreign interference in China’s affairs,” he said.

Also on Tuesday, China released a paper on the Global Security Initiative (GSI), President Xi Jinping’s flagship security proposal which aims to uphold the principle of “indivisible security”, a concept also endorsed by Russia.

By Reuters