China has avoided direct criticism of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine and instead placed blame on Western countries for supplying weapons to the government in Kiev.
"The Ukraine issue is complex in its historical background," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said at a daily press briefing on Thursday.
"What we see today is the interplay of complex factors."
She accused the US and European countries of fuelling the conflict by supplying arms.
"Weapons can never solve all problems. So I don't think this is the time for anyone to pour oil on the fire. Instead, we should give peace a chance," said the spokesperson, who also recalled previous US military operations.
'Invasion'
"You define the Russian action as an invasion, but I wonder when the US took unilateral military action against Afghanistan and other countries, what words did you use then?
Were they invasions or something else?" she asked.
"We still hope that the parties concerned will not close the door to peace and instead engage in dialogue and consultation," she said of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
