Display Chinese flag if you need to drive anywhere- China tells citizens in Ukraine

China has advised its citizens in Ukraine to stay home or at least take the precaution of displaying a Chinese flag if they needed to drive anywhere, describing Russia’s moves on Ukraine as no invasion.

Russian forces on Thursday fired missiles at several cities in Ukraine and landed troops on its coast after President Vladimir Putin authorized what he called a special military operation in the east.

This is perhaps a difference between China and you Westerners. We won’t go rushing to a conclusion

Speaking on the development, a spokesperson at China’s foreign ministry, Hua Chunying, said “regarding the definition of an invasion, I think we should go back to how to view the current situation in Ukraine.

“The Ukrainian issue has other very complicated historical backgrounds that has continued to today. It may not be what everyone wants to see.”

At a packed daily media briefing in Beijing, Hua bridled at journalists’ characterization of Russia’s actions.

“This is perhaps a difference between China and you Westerners. We won’t go rushing to a conclusion,” she said.

The ministry said later that senior diplomat Wang Yi, also China’s foreign minister, had spoken with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov.

Wang said that the Ukraine issue had a “complex” history and reiterated that China understands what it called Russia’s “legitimate concerns” on security, according to a statement from China’s foreign ministry.

Russia’s attack comes weeks after Putin met with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, just before the Winter Olympics in Beijing.

The two sides announced a strategic partnership aimed at countering U.S. influence and said they would have “no ‘forbidden’ areas of cooperation”.