HONG KONG, MARCH 24

China's ministry of defence said on Thursday it was completely false to say that China had 'prior knowledge' of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and that such claims were a smear.

The ministry comment came in response to foreign media reports which said China ignored warnings by the United States that Russia would attack Ukraine.

China strongly disagrees and opposes these claims, which the United States made to 'shirk responsibility and smear China', the defence ministry said in a statement.