China has called on all sides of the Ukraine conflict to exercise restraint and work towards a ceasefire and political resolution to the crisis.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Thursday that the military had used the new Oreshnik hypersonic non-nuclear missile system against a military factory in Ukraine, in response to Kiev’s use of Western-supplied long-range weapons for attacks on Russian territory.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian responded on Friday by stating that “all parties need to remain calm, exercise restraint, work for deescalation through dialogue and consultation.”
He also called on all sides of the conflict to create conditions for “an early ceasefire and political settlement of the crisis.” The spokesman added that Beijing maintains its position on the issue, advocating for a resolution to hostilities through political means and preventing further escalation.
During his address announcing the Oreshnik strike, Putin explained that the move came in response to Kiev firing US-made ATACMS and British-made Storm Shadow missiles into internationally recognized Russian territory, having received permission from its Western backers to do so.
The Russian president stated that one of these attacks had caused several casualties at a Russian command center in Kursk Region, drastically changing the nature of the Ukraine conflict and making it more “global.”
Putin pointed out that Russia’s new missile is capable of striking targets at a distance of up to 5,000 kilometers and can travel ten times faster than the speed of sound, meaning that it cannot be countered by any existing air defense systems.
He warned that any further escalatory steps by Ukraine and the West would be met with a “mirror-like” response. At the same time, however, Putin noted that Moscow remains open to negotiations and resolving the conflict through peaceful means.
Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky has demanded a “strong reaction” from the world to Moscow’s deployment of the Oreshnik missile system, stating that “Russia must be forced into real peace, which can only be achieved through strength.”
The White House, in turn, has stated that Russia’s new hypersonic missile will not deter Washington from providing continued military support to Ukraine.