Speaking at a daily briefing on Thursday, Wang told reporters that the allegation in a US newspaper "is purely fake news, and such behaviours of diverting attention and shifting blame are very despicable".

 

He reiterated the country's claim that the US provoked Russia by not ruling out NATO membership for Ukraine.

 

The report in The New York Times quoted a Western intelligence report as saying senior Chinese officials told senior Russian officials to not invade Ukraine until the international sporting event in Beijing had concluded, RT reported.

 

The article claims the "report indicates that senior Chinese officials had some level of direct knowledge about Russia's war plans or intentions before the invasion started".

 

China was one of 35 nations that abstained from a vote of the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, which saw 141 nations condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine, while only five members, including Moscow, rejected the resolution.

 

"Regrettably, the draft resolution submitted to the General Assembly emergency special session for vote had not undergone full consultations with the whole membership, nor does it take into consideration the history and the complexity of the current crisis," Wang told reporters, explaining China's decision to abstain.