Ukraine: China says its refusal to condemn Russia gives peace a chance
- Abstention in UN vote on Ukraine invasion showed ‘responsible attitude’ rather than ‘resolving disputes with war and sanctions’, Foreign Minister Wang Yi says
- There should be ‘deep reflection’ about eastward expansion of Nato, Wang says after meeting Algerian counterpart Ramtane Lamamra
In remarks after hosting his Algerian counterpart Ramtane Lamamra on Sunday, Wang said that war and sanctions were not the only way to resolve the crisis.
“Abstaining from voting is also an attitude. It is to give peace a chance,” Wang was quoted as saying by a Chinese foreign ministry statement. “It is not in favour of resolving disputes with war and sanctions. It is a responsible attitude.”
Earlier this month, China abstained in a UN vote to condemn Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, and denounced a “cold war mentality based on bloc confrontation” – a reference to security alliance Nato. It has also called for “properly addressing the legitimate security concerns of all parties, including Russia”.
Wang said after meeting with Lamamra that the causes of the Ukraine crisis were complicated and that there should be “deep reflection” about the eastward expansion of Nato – which was seen as a threat by Russia.
“Dialogue and negotiation are the fundamental solutions,” Wang said. “Under the current situation, we should stick to this direction.
