Kremlin says China has every right to conduct Taiwan exercises, France cannot mediate in Ukraine

[April 10, 2023]  MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Monday that China had every right to respond to what it called repeated "provocations" against it and carry out military exercises around Taiwan. 

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov attends a joint news conference of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in Moscow, Russia February 18, 2022. Sputnik/Sergey Guneev/Kremlin via REUTERS

Beijing on Monday carried out the last of three days of drills around Taiwan, including practicing aerial and naval blockade manoeuvres of the island, which China views as part of its own territory, something Taiwan's government strongly disputes.

In a call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said everyone should respect China and its actions which were in line with international law.

"In a very short period of time, you and I have witnessed repeated actions that have been provocative toward the People's Republic of China," said Peskov.

"And, of course, China has the sovereign right to respond to these provocative actions, including conducting military manoeuvres in strict compliance with international law."

Peskov also suggested that France, whose president Emmanuel Macron visited China for talks last week, could not broker a peace in Ukraine as Paris is "both indirectly and directly involved in this conflict on the side of Ukraine. Therefore, it is still difficult to imagine any mediation efforts here."

During his visit to China, Macron called on Chinese leader Xi Jinping to "bring Russia back to its senses" over Ukraine.

(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Andrew Osborn)

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