Chinese foreign minister urges Ukraine and Russia not to “spill over” the effects of the war during a speech to the United Nations General Assembly.
In his speech to the UN General Assembly on Saturday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called on Ukraine and Russia not to let the war “spill over”.
“We call on all parties concerned to prevent the crisis from spreading and to protect the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries,” he said, calling for a “peaceful solution”. China had already called for a ceasefire in the region on Wednesday.
“Priority is to facilitate peace negotiations”
“The priority is to facilitate peace negotiations,” he emphasized, calling for a “peaceful solution to the Ukraine crisis” through “fair and pragmatic” talks.
China is officially neutral but is sometimes accused by Westerners of being too forgiving towards Russia, although US officials expressed cautious hopes after Beijing’s statements at the United Nations this week. The Chinese minister also met with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kouleba in New York and assured him that Beijing is calling for “respecting the territorial integrity of all countries”.
“The basic solution is to address the legitimate security concerns of all parties and build a balanced, effective and sustainable security architecture,” Wang Yi said on Saturday.
Last week, after meeting his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin praised Mr Xi’s “balanced position” on Ukraine, but also said he understood “(his) questions and (his) concerns” on the issue.
China will oppose any foreign “interference” in Taiwan
In addition, Wang Yi also spoke about the situation in Taiwan. “We must resolutely combat Taiwan’s separatist activities and take decisive measures to counteract outside interference,” he said.
“Any attempt to prevent China’s reunification is bound to be crushed by the wheel of history,” he added.
The minister met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday on the sidelines of the General Assembly, their first meeting since talks in Bali in July, where the two men expressed their desire to renew dialogue.
A month later, US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi traveled to Taiwan, provoking Beijing’s ire and renewed tensions between the two great powers. And US President Joe Biden said in an interview on Sunday that he was prepared to intervene militarily if China resorted to violence.
During this meeting with Antony Blinken, Wang Yi also accused the United States of “sending very bad and dangerous signals” promoting Taiwan independence, according to a press release from China’s Foreign Ministry. The chief of US diplomacy expressed the need to maintain “peace and stability” in the Taiwan Strait, according to a State Department spokesman.