The Chinese government has called on the International Court in Hague to respect the immunity of heads of state after issuing an arrest order for Russian President Putin

The International Criminal Court (ICC) should "respect the immunity of Heads of State," said the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin, referring to the ICC's arrest order for Russian President Vladimir Putin. The diplomat also called on the court in The Hague to "take an objective and impartial position" and "avoid politicisation and double standards". At the same time, he emphasised that resolving the conflict in Ukraine was only possible through dialogue and negotiations. China and Russia have not ratified the Rome Statute of the ICC, and thus do not recognise the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court.

It should be noted that according to Article 27 of the Rome Statute of the ICC - no official immunity prevents from an investigation by The Hague. As practice has shown since its inception, the International Criminal Court has accused more than 46 individuals. These charges include genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and aggression. Those accused include former President of Sudan Omar al-Bashir, former President of Cote d’Ivoire Laurent Gbagbo, and son of Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi Saif al-Islam Gaddafi.