Thursday, the European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said she had warned China that supplying arms to Russia would "significantly harm" relations, following Western claims that Beijing was mulling material support for Moscow's war in Ukraine.

"We also count on China not to provide any military equipment directly or indirectly to Russia, because we all know arming the aggressor would be against international law, and it would significantly harm our relationship," von der Leyen told a press conference in Beijing following meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang.