China denies supplying weapons for Ukraine war, accuses Nato of slander

China on Thursday rejected claims that it has supplied weapons to parties involved in the Ukraine war, accusing “relevant Nato personnel” of slandering China’s “normal military build-up”.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun, speaking at a regular press briefing, dismissed the allegations and described China’s military development as “normal.”

His remarks came in response to Nato Secretary-General Mark Rutte’s comments that China was undergoing a “massive build-up” and supporting the war effort in Ukraine.

On Wednesday, Rutte warned that China’s “massive” military buildup is increasing the risk of a conflict over Taiwan, which could potentially involve Russia and have serious implications for European security.

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Rutte also noted that countries like Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand are now closely aligned with Nato due to their growing concerns over China’s expanding military capabilities and the threat it poses to regional and global stability.

“We have this close relationship … exactly for the reason that these countries are very, very worried about the massive military buildup in China,” Independent quoted Rutte as saying ahead of the Nato summit in The Hague.

If China moved on Taiwan, Rutte claimed, there was a real possibility Beijing would urge Russia to create trouble in Europe so as to divide Nato’s attention and resources.

“That’s one of the reasons why we have to stand ready, and we cannot be naive,” Rutte added.

“We have to be clear on this, and that is why that extra defence spending is so important. That is why Nato does not have an alliance opt-out, side deals, etc, because we all have to chip in,” he further said.

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Beijing regularly dispatches warplanes and naval vessels toward Taiwan, with the scale and frequency of these operations escalating in recent years. Taiwanese officials have cautioned that such military drills could serve as a smokescreen for a potential surprise attack.

Any outbreak of conflict could swiftly involve the United States, which maintains key alliances in the region, supplies advanced weaponry to Taiwan, and is legally bound to respond to threats against the island.

China views Taiwan as a breakaway province, and President Xi Jinping has pledged to achieve “reunification” with the self-governed democracy—by force if necessary.

With inputs from agencies