China on Monday called on the International Criminal Court to avoid what it called "double standards" and respect immunity for heads of state, after the tribunal issued an arrest warrant for Russian leader Vladimir Putin on war crimes charges.

The court should "uphold an objective and impartial stance" and "respect the immunity of heads of state from jurisdiction under international law", foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told a regular briefing, urging the ICC to "avoid politicisation and double standards".