China says ‘Taiwan is not Ukraine,’ accuses US of ‘creating fear and panic’

As two of the United States’ biggest foreign policy issues, some have compared the tensions between Russia and Ukraine to the tensions between China and Taiwan. On Wednesday, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said the two situations are not the same. Her comments came as Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen called for the island to beef up vigilance on Chinese military activities.

“Taiwan is not Ukraine because it has always been an inalienable part of China’s territory. That is an irrefutable historical and legal fact,” Hua Chunying said. “It is unwise of certain people of the Taiwan authorities to latch on to and exploit the Ukraine issue to their benefit.”

While China says the two situations are different, they have been in lockstep with Russia regarding their position on Ukraine. As the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing began, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in a public show of solidarity. In a joint statement, the two declared their opposition to any expansion of NATO to include Ukraine and affirmed Taiwan as a part of China. Hua commented on the recent escalation in tensions between Russia and Ukraine Wednesday, placing blame on the U.S.

“Unlike the U.S. who kept sending weapons to Ukraine, creating fear and panic and even playing up the threat of war, China has been calling on all parties to respect and pay attention to each other’s legitimate security concerns, work together to solve problems through negotiations and consultations, and maintain regional peace and stability,” Hua said. “The unilateral and illegal sanctions imposed by the U.S and some other countries have caused serious difficulties to relevant countries’ economies and livelihoods. The U.S. should never undermine the legitimate rights and interests of China and other parties when dealing with the Ukraine issue and relations with Russia.”

Hua’s comments come as the West unveiled more sanctions against Russia Wednesday over its recognition of two separatist areas in eastern Ukraine. European Union sanctions added all members of Russia’s lower house of parliament who voted to recognize the separatist regions in Ukraine to a blacklist, freezing their assets and banning travel. Meanwhile, Great Britain followed the U.S. in announcing new restrictions banning Russia from the issuing of new bonds in its security markets.

In what could be seen as a bracing for further confrontation, Russia began evacuating its embassy in Kyiv and Ukraine urged its citizens to leave Russia Wednesday. The head of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council also called for a nationwide state of emergency.