The Chinese Foreign Ministry commented on the statements made by the U.S. Embassy in Russia regarding protests that took place in Moscow on Saturday.
Russian news agency Novosti reported today that Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian stated that China opposes any foreign interference in the affairs of a sovereign state, adding that "China strongly opposes interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign country." The U.S. Embassy had issued a warning on its official website containing detailed information about anticipated protests on Saturday, January 23, in Russia, advising American citizens to avoid areas where protests were expected.
Earlier, the U.S. Embassy in Moscow stated it was monitoring "reports of protests in 38 Russian cities," and added that the diplomatic mission supports the right of all people to peaceful protest and freedom of expression, asserting that the actions of Russian authorities aim to suppress these rights.
It is worth noting that the Russian Foreign Ministry informed the U.S. Ambassador in Moscow of its protest against the embassy's support for illegal activities in Russia, considering Washington's actions regarding unauthorized gatherings in Russia as interference in internal affairs.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that the statements issued by the U.S. Embassy regarding the protests in Russia, which reportedly resulted in the detention of over 3,500 individuals, represent interference in internal matters and encourage Russians to violate the law.
Additionally, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated that her ministry intends to hold U.S. diplomats accountable for the U.S. Embassy in Moscow publishing "protest routes" in several Russian cities, along with inserting information about a "march towards the Kremlin."
In a related context, China denied a report published by The Wall Street Journal regarding its push for a high-level meeting to ease tensions with the United States, according to a statement from the Chinese Embassy in Washington last Saturday.
The Chinese embassy stated in the statement that: "This is not true," adding that the Chinese side did not draft any of the letters mentioned in the report, and urged the media outlet that published this report to respect the facts and cover China-U.S. relations in a neutral and responsible manner.
