Russia's attack on Ukraine, which China refuses to condemn or even call an invasion, has sent Beijing into a diplomatic scramble to limit blowback while standing by a partner with which it has grown increasingly close in opposition to the West.
China has repeatedly called for dialogue, with Foreign Minister Wang Yi telling senior European officials in a flurry of telephone calls on Friday that China respects countries' sovereignty, including Ukraine's, but that Russia's concerns about NATO's eastward expansion should be properly addressed.
China's foreign policy is based on non-interference in the affairs of other countries, and it has yet to recognise Russia's claim to the Crimea region of Ukraine after its 2014 invasion. The attack on Ukraine, which counts China as its largest trading partner with two-way commerce totalling $19 billion and with which it had cordial diplomatic ties, came days after the Olympics ended.
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