China Fires Back at NATO Over Russia-Ukraine War Criticism

China's mission to the European Union has hit out at NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg after the alliance chief accused Beijing of undermining global security by refusing to condemn Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Following a meeting of NATO foreign ministers on Thursday, Stoltenberg told reporters in Brussels that China's failure to stand against Russian aggression represents "a serious challenge to us all." "Since the outbreak of the Ukraine crisis, China has always maintained an objective and fair position, remained committed to promoting peace talks and made positive efforts towards the de-escalation of the situation," the mission said. China has refused to criticize Russia directly for its invasion and has condemned the West for its subsequent unprecedented sanctions on Moscow. Zhao accused the U.S. of fanning the flames of conflict in Ukraine to "Profit from the chaos and make a lot of money." Moscow has repeatedly alleged the same of the U.S. and its NATO partners. Stoltenberg on Thursday was clear that NATO sees China's reaction to the Russian invasion as a threat to the alliance. "We have seen that China is unwilling to condemn Russia's aggression," the NATO chief said.