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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi speaks at a UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine in New York on Thursday. Photo: AFP

China Diplomacy

China goes ‘its own way’ on Ukraine as EU pushes for pressure on Russia

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi says the country will ‘neither stand by nor add fuel to the fire’
European Union foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell urges Beijing to use influence over Moscow to end the conflict

Ukraine war

Kawala Xie

Published: 6:01pm, 23 Sep 2022

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Beijing will continue to play a constructive role in promoting peace and will not take advantage of the Ukraine crisis for its own ends, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Ukrainian counterpart on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting in New York on Thursday.

“China has always been committed to pursuing peace and promoting talks. It has never stood idly by, nor has it added fuel to the fire, nor will it take advantage of the opportunity to gain self-interest,” Wang told Dmytro Kuleba.

Kuleba also said on Twitter that Wang “reaffirmed China’s respect for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as its rejection of the use of force as a means of resolving differences”.

02:55

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi says Beijing’s position on Ukraine is ‘consistent and clear’

Wang’s talks with Kuleba were also on the same day as a foreign ministers’ meeting at the United Nations, where he restated China’s position that all countries’ sovereignty should be upheld and their security concerns addressed.

He also put out China’s four propositions on Ukraine, including calls for all parties to resume dialogue, eliminate nuclear risks and solve the food crisis.

Wang urged all sides to exercise restraint to de-escalate the situation.

“There is no room for trial and error on the safety of nuclear facilities, and any risk of accidents must be eliminated,” he said.

03:50

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The foreign ministers’ meeting was dominated by Ukraine and attendees included Kuleba, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Lavrov walked out of the talks as Ukraine, the United States, and others called for Russia to be held accountable over its military actions.

China repeats call for Ukraine talks in wake of Putin’s nuclear threats

A day earlier, as the European Union urged Beijing to use its influence on Russia to end the war, Wang told EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell that China would “play its role in its own way” in the Ukraine conflict.

He said China supported the EU and major European countries to “continue to actively mediate and make every effort to strive for peace” in the conflict.

Borrell and Wang reaffirmed their joint commitment to non-proliferation and their opposition to the use of weapons of mass destruction.

Earlier this week, Russian President Putin raised the possibility of using nuclear weapons as the war in Ukraine continued to escalate. Russia recently suffered its biggest setback since the war started in February, losing more than 8,000 sq km (3,089 square miles) of land that it previously seized in northeastern Ukraine.

03:11

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China has hesitated to pressure Russia on Ukraine, triggering concerns from the EU and other Western countries.

During last week’s Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Uzbekistan, Chinese President Xi Jinping made no mention of Ukraine in his remarks, while Putin, failing to receive Beijing’s vocal support, acknowledged China’s “questions and concerns” about the war.

Yang Cheng, executive president of the Shanghai Academy of Global Governance and Area Studies, said Wang’s statement on Ukraine meant China’s position on the issue was unchanged and it would not seek to intervene by itself. He added that Beijing was willing to play its role, but it would not be a leading one.

“China believes and hopes that Europe can play a more active and important role … China is not a direct party in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and it is also far from the battlefield. Its position is more detached than that of Europe,” said Yang, who specialises in Eurasian relations.

02:07

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Wu Fei, a Jinan University professor specialising in Russian studies, said China was unlikely to meet the EU’s demand to pressure Russia on Ukraine, as there was no mechanism for China to intervene. He said intervention would require an appropriate mechanism like the UN, where China is a permanent member of the Security Council.

China and the EU have also recently clashed on other issues including human rights and Taiwan. The EU revealed a proposed ban this month on products made by forced labourers, a move aimed at China, which Brussels has criticised for its handling of human rights issues in Xinjiang.

During Wang’s meeting with Borrell, he said human rights issues “should not be politicised” and he hoped the EU could maintain “strategic autonomy”.

The two agreed to maintain dialogue over human rights issues.

Xinjiang exports to EU more than double despite forced labour concerns

Wang called for high-level strategic dialogues with the EU on the economy and trade, green development and other issues. He urged the two sides to step up cooperation on supply chains and energy.

Europe’s energy supply was hit hard after Russia, the continent’s main energy supplier, significantly cut gas exports via a major pipeline in retaliation for Western sanctions over Ukraine.

With Europe’s energy crisis expected to worsen as winter approaches, China recently resold millions of tonnes of liquefied natural gas back to the continent. Europe is also expected to buy more solar panels from China as an energy alternative after losing supplies from Russia.

Despite close trade and energy ties with Brussels, Beijing has been unnerved by the EU’s apparent support for Taiwan.

Beijing downgraded diplomatic relations with Lithuania after the EU member allowed Taiwan to set up a representative office in its capital. Last week, the European Parliament overwhelmingly passed a resolution to condemn China’s military actions in the Taiwan Strait, while recent media reports said Taiwan lobbied EU diplomats to pressure China with sanctions.

Yang said China and Europe had balanced their cooperation and disagreement well, and they cooperated more than they competed in bilateral relations.

China has nominated a new ambassador to the EU after a 10-month vacancy caused by the departure of former ambassador Zhang Ming. Fu Cong, currently director general at the Chinese foreign ministry’s department of arms control, is expected to assume the post.

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