2023-08-09 03:00:00
China’s top diplomat assured Russia that Beijing’s stance on the war in Ukraine has not wavered; it comes following a Chinese envoy attended a multilateral forum to discuss how to end the conflict, but Russia was excluded from the forum outside.
In a phone call on Monday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov affirmed the strong partnership between the two governments, according to press releases issued by the Chinese and Russian foreign ministries, And promised to continue to work together to resist Western actions to contain the development of the two countries.
the two foreign ministers also discussed the war in ukraine, but neither side’s press release directly mentioned a weekend diplomatic conference in saudi arabia in which the united states later said china was discussing potential avenues for peace in ukraine played a positive role. Even so, the Jeddah meeting, which sought to reassure Moscow regarding China’s position in the war, was clearly referenced in Wang’s comments.
According to the press release of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Wang Yi stated that on the Ukrainian crisis, China will uphold an independent and impartial stance on any international multilateral occasion, actively promote peace talks, and strive to find a political solution. The release maintained Beijing’s longstanding reluctance to describe the conflict as war.
At the same time, the Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying that the call confirmed that the Russian and Chinese governments adopted the same or basically consistent attitudes in international affairs, but did not elaborate on the content of the discussions on the Ukraine issue. Lavrov and Wang Yi reaffirmed their commitment to maintain close foreign policy coordination, the statement said.
The call came a day following senior officials from 42 countries, including the United States and China, held a diplomatic conference in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah to discuss a potential peaceful solution to the war in Ukraine.
Ukraine and its Western backers see the closed-door talks as an effort to win global support, especially from major developing countries that have been generally neutral, to accept peace terms favorable to Ukraine.
As Russia’s most important diplomatic partner, China is seen as key to moving the peace talks forward and has the potential to influence discussions of Russia’s red lines and concerns in any peace plan.
The United States on Monday expressed appreciation for China’s presence at the Jeddah meeting. “We’ve said long ago that China’s role in ending the war in Ukraine would be productive if it was willing to do so while respecting Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters. of.”
Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian president’s office, said in a televised interview broadcast following the meetings that China participated actively in them.
“I hope our bilateral relationship with China will deepen,” Yermak said. “It’s very important for China to know the truth first, and for China’s position to move closer to ours, to try to end this war.”
Most of the countries participating in the Jeddah meeting, including China, appear willing to meet once more in the coming weeks, with Russia excluded, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people involved in the talks or with knowledge of the talks .
Li Hui, China’s special envoy for peace on the Ukraine war, led the Chinese delegation to the Jeddah meeting. Li Hui’s attendance marks a change in attitude from China, which did not participate in similar talks held in Copenhagen in June this year. Some countries including Brazil, India, Turkey and South Africa participated in the Copenhagen talks.
The Chinese delegation presented China’s 12-point position statement at the Jeddah meeting, calling for a ceasefire in Ukraine and an end to the war through peace talks, the Wall Street Journal reported; the statement was first released in February. European diplomats voiced their disapproval, warning that an unconditional ceasefire might only lead to a stalemate in the conflict, allowing Russia to consolidate its grip on Ukrainian territory.
China quoted Lavrov in its description of Monday’s call between the two foreign ministers, saying Russia appreciates China’s constructive role in resolving the Ukraine crisis and that Moscow “highly agrees” with Beijing’s current situation on Ukraine. There are position papers.
While Monday’s phone call between the foreign ministers of China and Russia underscored the partnership between China and Russia, Chinese officials have repeatedly expressed concern regarding the global impact of a protracted confrontation in Ukraine and warned once morest the use of nuclear weapons, a threat China poses to Russia An implicit criticism of the use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine.
China’s continued support for Russia has unnerved European countries since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and a growing number of European countries have taken a tougher stance once morest China.
Wary of China is keeping some European leaders from attending a summit in Beijing this fall where Chinese leader Xi Jinping will host Russian President Vladimir Putin and other foreign leaders, according to The Wall Street Journal. Leaders, to discuss China’s Belt and Road Initiative to build global trade infrastructure.
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