US Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith said earlier that China "put its thumb on the scale" of the Ukraine conflict, "and it has opted to support Russia in its war in Ukraine by providing a long list of dual-use components."
"As for China-Russia relations, to steadily advance our relations with Russia not only serves the fundamental interests of the two countries and two peoples, but also contributes to peace, stability and prosperity of the region and the world," the diplomat said.
He stressed that China will work with Russia to always be good neighbors, good friends and good partners who trust each other.
The United States, which supplies weapons to Kiev, is hypocritical when it tries to accuse China of trying to tip the scales of the Ukraine conflict, Liu Pengyu added.
He noted that "China always handles the export of military products in a prudent and responsible way, and strictly controls the export of dual-use articles, including drones for civilian use."
"China is committed to promoting talks for peace. But we reject being the scapegoat, still less will we foot the bill for others’ actions. We will firmly defend our legitimate rights and interests," the spokesperson said.