“China will never attack Ukraine”

China will never attack Ukraine, its top diplomat told officials Monday, according to a press release from the Lviv regional government.

“China will never attack Ukraine. We will help, especially economically … In this situation you have now, we will act responsibly,” Chinese Ambassador to Ukraine Fan Xianrong, head of the military administration, told AFP, regional Maksym Kozytsky in Lviv during a meeting.

“China and Ukraine are strategic partners, this year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between our countries. China is a friendly country for the Ukrainian people. As an ambassador, I can responsibly say that China will forever be a good force for Ukraine, both economically and politically. We will always respect your state, we will develop relations on the basis of equality and mutual benefit. We will respect the path chosen by Ukrainians because this is the sovereign right of every nation,” Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Ukraine Fan Xianrong said at a meeting in Lviv Regional Military Administration.

He said the Chinese embassy had moved from Kiev to Lviv and would stay there for the time being, according to Kozytsky.