China Expresses Concern at US Decision to Supply Ukraine with Cluster Munitions

NEW DELHI: China on Monday warned of ‘humanitarian problems’ arising from that the ‘irresponsible transfer’ of cluster munitions to Ukraine, after the United States approved the shipment of such weapons to the war-torn country.

Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said that Washington's decision drew "widespread attention from the international community, with many countries expressing opposition.”

However, Ning barely stopped short of slamming the approval outright, instead noting that "the irresponsible transfer of cluster munitions can lead to humanitarian problems".

She opined that humanitarian concerns and legitimate military and security needs should be fairly managed, and to maintain a ‘prudent and restrained attitude’ towards the transfer of cluster munitions.

Meanwhile, humanitarian groups have roundly condemned the US decision to supply cluster bombs, which have been banned across a large part of the world. These can go undetonated, posing a potential threat to civilians for years to come.

China is not a signatory to the Convention on Cluster Munition nor is the United State, which prohibits the use of the weapons.

Moreover, Russia also has not signed the treaty and its own use of cluster bombs in the invasion of Ukraine has drawn criticism.

China says that it is a neutral party in the Ukraine conflict, but it has often been condemned for refusing to criticise Moscow for its offensive against Ukraine.

The US is planning to supply Ukraine with cluster munitions as part of an $800 million military aid package. Ukraine has been requesting these munitions, which can release numerous mini-bombs or cluster of bombs over a wide area, since September 2022.

The US is likely to provide from its own military stockpiles the 155-millimeter Dual-purpose Improved Conventional Munition (DPICM) artillery rounds, which will ensure compatibility with Ukraine’s wide range of howitzers supplied by Western powers.

The specific quantity of cluster bombs is unspecified but is estimated to exceed 100,000 DPICMs, according to Politico.

Each cluster round has a higher likelihood of causing significant casualties to both personnel and vehicles, as compared to a similar-caliber conventional artillery round.

The use of cluster munitions by both Russia and Ukraine has already been witnessed in the conflict between the sides.

However, cluster munitions are banned by a large number of countries due to the presence of unexploded mini- bombs, which can continue to be a threat for many years, similar to unintentional landmines that put risks to both friendly forces and civilians.

The wider impact area of such cluster munitions are also concerning when these are used indiscriminately in populated areas.

An international convention seeking to ban cluster munitions was implemented in 2008. As of 2023, a total of 123 nations have pledged not to manufacture nor maintain stocks of these weapons.

Russia, Ukraine, and the United States are, however, not signatories to this convention.

Human Rights Watch expressed its concerns, emphasizing that transfer of such weapons would inevitably inflict long-term suffering upon civilians and potentially undermine the international condemnation of their use.

Meanwhile, Amnesty International has urged on the Biden administration to foresee any decision that enable the broader use of cluster bombs in the ongoing war would almost certainly result in the further loss of civilian lives.

Also Read: Guwahati: Joint Ops Conducted Against Adulterated Milk, Samples Collected

Also watch: