China says it respects Ukraine’s sovereignty and Russia’s security concerns

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi has told senior European officials that China respects countries' territorial integrity and sovereignty, including Ukraine's, but that Russia's concerns about NATO's eastward expansion should be properly addressed.

Wang said the current situation in the Ukraine is not something Beijing wished to see, but China historically has opposed United Nations Security Council actions promoting sanctions, reports Al Jazeera.

Wang made the comments in separate calls with the UK's foreign secretary, the European Union's foreign affairs chief and France's presidential advisor, according to a statement from China's Foreign Ministry.