SCMP reported that China supported Russia in the debate at the UN Security Council on October 4 on accountability for the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline explosions in September 2022.
Mr. Geng Shuang, Permanent Deputy Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations, expressed Beijing's disappointment at the lack of progress in the investigation into the Nord Stream pipeline explosions in the Baltic Sea two years ago.
The Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 pipelines transporting gas from Russia to Germany were severely damaged on September 26, 2022 after a series of explosions.
Reiterating Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya's request for a Security Council meeting, Mr. Canh Sang called on member states to "actively exchange and cooperate" with Moscow and avoid applying double standards or politicizing the investigation.
"It is a pity that we have not yet reached a certain conclusion" - Tan Hoa Xa quoted Mr. Canh Sang as saying.
"Is there any hidden motive in the initial opposition to the international investigation? evidence of cover-ups and destruction over the past two years? When will the trust and time we have spent in the case be rewarded with the truth about what happened?" - Mr. Canh Sang asked.
According to a UN press release, representatives from Russia, the US and France argued fiercely at a Security Council meeting on October 4, with Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya accusing Western countries of covering up the incident, and that the Nord Stream pipeline could not have been blown up without government support.
The Wall Street Journal reported in August that the pipelines were blown up by a small group of Ukrainian sabotages in a campaign initially approved by President Volodymyr Zelensky and later called off but in failure.
Russia called for an independent investigation into the incident last year, but Moscow's proposal - backed by China and Brazil - was blocked at the UN body.
China and Russia have been trying to strengthen their "unlimited" partnership in recent times, as both sides are reportedly preparing for the third meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin since May, scheduled to take place on the sidelines of the BRICS summit from October 22-24 in Kazan, western Russia.
On October 2, Chairman Xi Jinping exchanged congratulatory messages with President Putin on the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. According to Xinhua News Agency, Chairman Xi Jinping said China is "re ready to cooperate with Russia to continue expanding comprehensive practical cooperation between the two countries".
In a message to President Xi Jinping, President Putin affirmed that bilateral relations have reached their highest level ever and that "the close and mutually beneficial relationship between Russia and China has overcome the challenges of time".
