China's Foreign Ministry spokesman refused to categorize Russia's attack as an invasion during a press conference Thursday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced an attack on Ukraine, followed by explosions in other cities. The president of the country described the violence as an invasion to destroy the country.
Within hours, leaders from the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom and beyond condemned the Russian attack.
China's assistant foreign minister dodged several questions about whether she would call Russia's attacks an invasion.
The U.S. has been fueling the flame, fanning up the flame, how do they want to put out the fire?
That is according to an official translation.
Russia is an independent major country that can take its own actions. She referred to Russia's government statements on Ukraine, such as a claim from Moscow's defense ministry that Russian armed forces do not strike Ukrainian cities.
China is closely following the situation. What you are seeing is not what we want to see.
Putin recognized the independence of two regions in eastern Ukraine. The U.S. and Europe imposed sanctions on Russian individuals, financial institutions and debt in order to prevent an attack.
There were reports of explosions in the capital of Kyiv and other cities around the country as the Russian invasion of Ukraine began.
The senior fellow in the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace said that China is sympathetic to Russian perspectives.
China thinks that the NATO expansion and other threats from the U.S. and NATO prompted Russia to defend its legitimate interests.
China wants to avoid being seen as part of the axis because Russia is getting condemnation and criticism.
China has been careful when it comes to public statements.
Beijing has repeatedly said it wants to reunify with Taiwan. The island off the coast of mainland China is self-governed but claimed by the People's Republic of China.
According to official statements from both the U.S. and China, the Foreign Minister of China and the Secretary of State of the U.S. discussed the situation in Ukraine in a phone call on Tuesday.
The closing of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games was followed by a call. Ahead of the opening ceremony in Beijing, Putin met with the Chinese President.
After the meeting, the two leaders issued a lengthy statement that did not mention Ukraine by name, but opposed further expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and said there were no limits.
China is unlikely to make significant changes to its position on Russia, but will distance itself from a situation that experts in China previously thought was benign.
Wang Jisi, president of the Institute of International and Strategic Studies at Peking University, said that Russia's military action is probably not imminent.
Wang was speaking during a rare trip to the U.S., as part of a livestreamed conversation with Washington, D.C.-based Center for Strategic and International Studies China Business and Economics Trustee Chair Scott Kennedy.
China is moving closer to Russia and relations with the U.S. are not good.
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