China warns Europe against escalating Ukraine war, strengthening Taiwan ties

China's ambassador to the European Union this week warned the bloc against pushing for Ukraine's "complete victory" in its ongoing war with Russia and cautioned Brussels that China would be forced to respond to the bloc strengthening economic ties with Taiwan.

"Frankly speaking, we are quite concerned about the possible escalation of this conflict. And we don’t believe that only providing weapons will actually solve the problem," said Ambassador Fu Chong, per Politico. He further contended that the solution to war ought to be determined through diplomacy.

"We are quite concerned about people talking about winning a complete victory on the battlefield. We believe that the right place would be at the negotiating table," he continued.

At present, Russia controls a considerable swath of Ukrainian territory in the country's south and east. Fu's remarks come amid an anticipated Russian offensive that might expand on their gains.

The Chinese delegate also referenced the prospect of the European Union pursuing closer economic ties with Taipei.

"Nowadays, what we’re seeing is that there is some erosion of these basic commitments. We see that the parliamentarians and also senior officials from the EU institutions are also visiting Taiwan," he lamented, adding that an investment treaty would "fundamentally change... or shake the foundation" of Beijing's relationship with Brussels.

The People's Republic of China and the Taiwan-based Republic of China agree in principle on the existence of a single Chinese state that includes the territory of both governments, though both lay claim to that mantle.

Given that Taiwan does not formally claim independence, Fu has highlighted that Beijing's desire to impose its rule on the island is technically an internal affair, unlike the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

"I must state up front that [the] Ukrainian crisis and the Taiwan issue are two completely different things," he asserted. "Ukraine is an independent state, and Taiwan is part of China. So there’s no comparability between the two issues."

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.