Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying speaks at a daily breifing. File photo: VCG

China said Tuesday it opposes the politicization of doping claims, a day after Russia was banned by World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) for four years from participating in major international sports events under the Russian national flag.

"We oppose the politicization of sports events, advocate the protection of the legitimate rights and interests of clean athletes from all countries, and truly safeguard the fairness, justice, and purity of international sports," Hua Chunying, spokesperson of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told a daily news briefing on Tuesday. 

"Russia is an important member of the international Olympic family," Hua said. "There are a large number of high-level athletes who love the Olympic cause and are healthy and progressive, and have made positive contributions to the development of the Olympic cause."

She went on to reiterate that China has always attached great importance to anti-doping work and adopted a "zero tolerance" attitude toward doping.

The WADA decision will prevent Russian athletes from representing their country in world major sports events for four years including the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics and Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics as well as multiple world championships.

Russia has been involved in doping scandals since a 2015 WADA report found evidence of mass doping in Russian athletics and doping cover-ups at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

Individual athletes from Russia are still able to participate as "neutral" competitors without their national flag or anthem, as was the case last year when Russia was banned from the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.

The ban, which also prohibits Russia from hosting international sporting events, came after WADA alleged manipulation in doping test results at a laboratory in Moscow. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin questioned whether the WADA decision was really about clean athletes, suggesting it was driven by "political bias" that has nothing to do with the Olympic movement and sports, RT reported.

"The key thing and everyone is in agreement is that any punishment has to be individual, has to be targeted based on what a particular individual has done. We can't have collective punishment," Putin was quoted as saying.

Russia is still considering how to respond to the WADA decision, as it has 21 days to appeal. Moscow has "all legal grounds" to appeal the move, Putin said.

If the Russian anti-doping agency RUSADA appeals the WADA sanctions, the case will be referred to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, WADA has said.