China urges all involved parties to abandon their Cold War mentality regarding the issue of former Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter poisoning in the United Kingdom, and focus on finding the truth about the incident, Spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry Geng Shuang said Tuesday.
“We have noticed that the parties have not yet come to a conclusion that all can agree on. In response to the expulsion of Russian diplomats by some countries and international organizations, Russia has taken adequate retaliatory measures. China believes that the parties should find the truth about the Skripal case. In the face of many global challenges, the parties must abandon the Cold War mentality, work together to promote international peace and security,” Shuang said at a briefing.
He also urged the parties to resolve their disagreements under the principles of mutual respect and equality.
On March 4, Skripal and his daughter Yulia were poisoned in the UK city of Salisbury. The United Kingdom believes the two were exposed to the A234 nerve agent, allegedly related to the Novichok-class nerve agents developed in the Soviet Union.
Soon after the incident, the United Kingdom announced the expulsion of 23 Russian diplomatic workers. Over 25 countries have since expelled Russian diplomats from their countries, expressing solidarity with London.
Moscow has denied having any role in the poisoning, pointing to the lack of evidence provided by London to substantiate its accusations and its refusal to let Moscow participate in the investigation.