World expects China to take bigger role in regional issues after Iran-Saudi deal, foreign minister says

Qin Gang also insists that Beijing ‘has always upheld an objective and impartial stance, actively promoting peace talks’ on Ukraine
Both Moscow and Kyiv have welcomed Chinese efforts to push for a ceasefire, including its peace plan, he tells state media

Ukraine war

Cyril Ip

Published: 8:00pm, 23 Mar, 2023

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China’s foreign minister says the international community expects Beijing to get more involved in regional issues after it brokered a deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to re-establish diplomatic ties.

President Xi Jinping’s visit to Saudi Arabia in December and Iranian leader Ebrahim Raisi’s stopover in China in February laid the groundwork for secret talks in Beijing earlier this month that resulted in the two feuding nations agreeing to restore relations and reopen embassies, seven years after they cut ties.

Foreign Minister Qin Gang said there was an expectation for China “to play a greater role in resolving regional hotspot issues” following the success of its mediation efforts between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

China’s top diplomat Wang Yi (centre) with Saudi Arabia’s national security adviser Musaad bin Mohammed al-Aiban (left) and Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, in Beijing on March 10. Photo: China Daily via Reuters

He made the remarks to Chinese state media on Wednesday, elaborating on Xi’s three-day visit to Russia this week, when Ukraine was on the agenda during talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

“Since the eruption of the Ukrainian crisis, China has always upheld an objective and impartial stance, actively promoting peace talks,” Qin said, according to a foreign ministry statement.

“China is neither the creator of, nor the party involved in, the Ukrainian crisis, but an advocate for a political solution to the crisis and a promoter of peace talks.”

According to Qin, both Russia and Ukraine have welcomed Chinese efforts pushing for a ceasefire, including its 12-point peace plan released in February that calls for a gradual de-escalation and opposes the use of nuclear weapons.

“Out of self-interest in geopolitics, certain countries deliberately obstruct peace talks, and even concoct all kinds of rumours and fallacies to attack and discredit China – but the public champions justice,” Qin said, amid accusations from US officials including Secretary of State Antony Blinken that Beijing is considering supplying arms to Moscow.

US officials have said China was deciding whether to provide drones and certain munitions to Russia, claims Beijing has denied. Ukraine’s military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov told Voice of America last month that he saw no “signs that such things are even being discussed”.

Qin again sought to cast China – which has refused to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – as a peacemaker in the conflict, a stance that has been met with scepticism from the US and its allies.

“It can be seen by the world who is passing the knife and fuelling the fire, and who is promoting peace talks,” Qin said.

“China’s stance is clear and consistent. Between peace and war, choose peace; between dialogue and sanctions, choose dialogue; between cooling down and instigation, choose cooling down.”

03:41

Xi and Putin deepen China-Russia partnership in Moscow talks, but no Ukraine peace deal details

Qin and other Chinese officials have described Xi’s talks with Putin in Moscow this week as a “journey of friendship, cooperation and peace”, and “yet another success” for Xi’s diplomacy.

“At a critical juncture of confusion and anxiety in the international community, [Xi] once again had insight into the general trend, determined the direction, and acted as the mainstay,” Qin said.

“With the certainty of China’s foreign policy, he injected precious stability into the turbulent international situation, demonstrating the strategic determination, political wisdom and courage of the leader of a world-class power.”