"Earlier, when the US announced the delivery of cluster munitions to Ukraine, China already said that irresponsible supplies and use of the munitions could easily cause humanitarian issues. We are urging all sides to effectively comply with norms of international humanitarian law to ensure security of civilians, including journalists," Mao told a briefing.
China has always believed the dialogue is the only way to resolve the Ukraine conflict, the diplomat added.
Rostislav Zhuravlev, a Sputnik military correspondent, died during evacuation from injuries caused by a cluster submunition explosion in the conflict zone on Saturday, the Russian Defense Ministry said. Several other Russian journalists, including Sputnik photojournalist Konstantin Mikhalchevsky and Izvestia journalist Roman Polshakov, received wounds of varying degrees of severity. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that those responsible for the death of Zhuravlev, including the suppliers of cluster munitions to Kiev, will be punished.