As war breaks out in Europe, China blames the US

(CNN)As Russian missiles flew through the Ukrainian sky Thursday and world leaders decried an invasion spreading across the country, China refused to condemn Russia's move outright, while appearing to levy blame on the United States and its allies.

Beijing finds itself in a complex position as Russia's invasion of its neighbor intensifies, needing to balance a close strategic partnership with Moscow with its seemingly contradictory policy of supporting state sovereignty.

A Chinese government official Thursday sidestepped questions over whether it would condemn Russia's actions or consider it an "invasion."

Instead, China's Assistant Foreign Minister Hua Chunying -- who repeated staid lines about seeking peace through dialogue and said the situation was "not what we would hope to see" -- was quick to point the finger at the US, implying that Washington was a "culprit" for "fanning up flames," referring to US warnings in recent weeks of an imminent invasion.

"China has taken a responsible attitude and persuaded all parties not to escalate tensions or incite war...Those who follow the US' lead in fanning up flames and then shifting the blame onto others are truly irresponsible," she said.

The comments echoed those made a day earlier, prior to the invasion, when Hua blamed the crisis on "NATO expansion eastward all the way to Russia's doorstep."

"Did it ever think about the consequences of pushing a big country to the wall?" she said.

The presence of Hua at the briefing both days was itself unusual, as the veteran spokeswoman had not been at the podium in such briefings since she was promoted to assistant minister for foreign affairs in October.

Her comments were widely disseminated across China's official state media and social media platforms, where talk of Ukraine dominated coverage and conversation.