BEIJING, March 16 (Portal) – China is concerned about an escalation of the war in Ukraine and hopes Moscow and Kiev will hold peace talks, senior Chinese diplomat Qin Gang told his Ukrainian counterpart in a phone call on Thursday.
China, which is refraining from condemning Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, has urged both sides to agree to a gradual de-escalation leading to a full-scale ceasefire in its 12-point paper on “Politically Resolving the Ukraine Crisis.”
The plan, welcomed lukewarmly by both sides, called for the protection of civilians and respect for each other’s sovereignty.
“China hopes that all parties will remain calm, reasonable and restrained and resume peace talks as soon as possible,” Qin told Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, according to a statement from China’s foreign ministry.
Qin added that China hopes Ukraine and Russia will not close the door on a political solution no matter how difficult and challenging the situation, the ministry said.
[1/2] Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang waves at the end of a news conference on the sidelines of the National People’s Congress (NPC) in Beijing, China March 7, 2023. Portal/Thomas Peter/File Photo
Kuleba said he and Qin discussed the “importance of the principle of territorial integrity” during the call.
“I underlined the importance of the peace formula (of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy) in stopping aggression and restoring a just peace in Ukraine,” Kuleba wrote on Twitter.
Ukraine has said any plan to end the conflict must include the withdrawal of Russian troops to Ukraine’s borders in 1991, the year the Soviet Union dissolved.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to visit Russian Vladimir Putin and hold a virtual meeting with Zelenskyy as early as next week.
Analysts say it will be difficult for China to bring Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating table, but some have suggested Xi could act as a “back channel” to get the talks going.
Hong Kong newsroom reporting; Edited by Angus MacSwan and Nick Macfie
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