始作俑者 ｜shǐ zuò yǒng zhě

Meaning: creator of bad precedent, the person who first made tomb figures

Original: “现在问题的关键是，作为当前乌克兰局势紧张的始作俑者，美方在这场危机中扮演了什么角色？发挥了什么作用？如果有人一边火上浇油，一边指责别人救火不力，这种行为是不负责任的，也是不道德的。“

Source: In her February 23, 2022 press conference, Foreign Ministry spokesperson 华春莹 managed to avoid mentioning Russia involvement and blamed the United States for stoking tensions in Ukraine. Find her remarks here: https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/fyrbt_673021/202202/t20220223_10644870.shtml