China repeats call for talks to end Ukraine war after Vladimir Putin threatens to use nuclear weapons

Foreign Minister Wang Yi expresses hope ‘all parties will not give up on dialogue’ in meeting with Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov at the UN in New York

Beijing has tried to hold a balanced position but Russian leader may force it ‘to stay somewhat further away’ from him, one Chinese analyst says

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Wang Yi and Sergey Lavrov shake hands ahead of their meeting at the UN in New York. Photo: Reuters

Published: 11:00pm, 22 Sep 2022

China has renewed its calls for talks to resolve the ongoing Ukraine crisis as Foreign Minister Wang Yi met his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov for the first time since Vladimir Putin’s latest threat to use nuclear weapons.

“China will continue to uphold an objective and fair position to promote peace talks and hopes that all parties will not give up on dialogue efforts and insist on resolving security concerns through peace talks,” Wang said during the meeting at the United Nations in New York, according to the Chinese foreign ministry.

The Russian President upped his rhetoric on Wednesday in a speech that accused the West of “nuclear blackmail”, and said the country would “certainly make use of all weapon systems available to us” if its territorial integrity was threatened, adding: “This is not a bluff.”

Putin also ordered 300,000 trained reservists to be mobilised to defend Russian sovereignty and “to ensure the safety of our people and people in the liberated territories”.

G7 foreign ministers in New York, for the UN General Assembly session, criticised Putin’s “irresponsible nuclear rhetoric”.

“I guess China has no other choice except to stay somewhat further away from Putin because of his war escalation, his aggression and annexation [of Ukrainian territory], and his renewed threat of nuclear war,” said Shi Yinhong, an international relations professor at Renmin University in Beijing.

Last week Putin told Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit that he understood China’s questions and concerns about the Ukraine war and would explain Moscow’s position behind closed doors.