China seeks support for stance on Ukraine by warning sanctions on Russia hurt developing countries the most

China has stepped up its efforts to rally support for its stance on the war in Ukraine, by warning that Western-led sanctions on Russia are already hurting developing countries.

On Monday, Dai Bing, the country’s first deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, told the Security Council that “ever-escalating, all-encompassing” sanctions will hit international food and energy markets, “affecting the normal lives of many people and creating new humanitarian problems”.