China marks Ukraine war anniversary with another call for peace
- 12-point position paper released one year on from Russian invasion calls on all parties to ‘stay rational and exercise restraint’
- Actions are needed to avoid the situation getting out of control and prevent the crisis from deteriorating further, Beijing says
“All parties must stay rational and exercise restraint, avoid fanning the flames and aggravating tensions, and prevent the crisis from deteriorating further or even spiralling out of control,” it said.
“All parties should support Russia and Ukraine in working in the same direction and resuming direct dialogue as quickly as possible, so as to gradually de-escalate the situation and ultimately reach a comprehensive ceasefire.”
The paper said the cold war mentality should be abandoned and bloc confrontation should be avoided. “The security of a region should not be achieved by strengthening or expanding military blocs,” it said.
“Relevant countries should stop abusing unilateral sanctions and ‘long-arm jurisdiction’ against other countries, so as to do their share in de-escalating the Ukraine crisis and create conditions for developing countries to grow their economies and better the lives of their people,” the paper said, in a swipe at the US and Europe.
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The paper also said the security of civilians should be protected and humanitarian assistance increased, as well as calling for the safety of nuclear power plants to be maintained and no use of nuclear weapons.
“China supports the exchange of prisoners of war between Russia and Ukraine, and all parties should create more favourable conditions for this,” it said.
The paper also called on all parties to ensure the stability of industrial supply chains. All parties should “earnestly safeguard the existing world economic system and oppose the politicisation and weaponisation of the world economy”, it said.
China is facing mounting pressure from the US and Europe, where there are concerns Beijing is siding with Russia.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday reiterated his contention that Beijing is considering providing military support for Russia’s war against Ukraine, a claim the Chinese government has refuted.
US reiterates China considering sending Russia military help for Ukraine war
While the American intelligence community has not detected “systematic” evasion by China of sanctions against Russia, “we also have picked up information over the last couple of months that strongly indicates China is now considering doing that”, Blinken said on Thursday.
In an online discussion with The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg, Blinken said his concern that China might provide arms or other material for use against Ukraine was one of his main messages to Beijing’s top-ranking diplomat Wang Yi at last week’s security conference in Germany.
Wang went from Munich to Moscow, for a meeting on Wednesday with President Vladimir Putin, where he exchanged in-depth views about Ukraine with the Russian leader, the Chinese foreign ministry said.
Wang said Beijing would not be swayed by any “third party” and expressed appreciation for Russia’s willingness to solve the crisis through dialogue.
He added that China would “uphold an objective and fair stance as always” and play a “constructive role” in finding a political settlement to the crisis.
