China, Pakistan express concern over 'spillover effects of sanctions' on Russia

ISTANBUL / ANKARA, Turkiye

China and Pakistan have expressed “concerns about the spillover effects of unilateral sanctions” on Russia, Beijing said after a meeting between top diplomats of the two countries in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad on Monday night.

“The two sides also exchanged views on the Ukraine issue. Both expressed concerns about the spillover effects of unilateral sanctions,” said a statement by China’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday.

China’s State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi in Islamabad ahead of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation's Foreign Ministers summit held on Tuesday where Wang participated on a special invitation by Pakistan.

Russia's war against Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24, has been roundly denounced by the international community and has been met with biting Western and allied sanctions and export controls. The economic fallout has been exacerbated by an exodus of global firms from Russia.

At least 925 civilians have been killed during the war and 1,496 have been injured, according to the UN's tally.

However, China and Pakistan, who call their bilateral relations as those of “iron brothers”, have avoided condemning the war, while Beijing has opposed the sanctions by the western countries against Russia.

Calling for a cease-fire between Moscow and Kyiv, Beijing said China and Pakistan “agreed that international law and the purposes of the UN Charter should be upheld.”

“Both called for a cease-fire through diplomatic dialogue and hope that based on the principle of indivisible security, a fundamental solution to the Ukraine problem can be found,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry added.

A statement by Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, however, said the two sides “discussed the situation in Ukraine and reiterated the need for a solution through sustained dialogue and diplomacy.”