What the peace plan presented by China overnight contains
In a 12-point document released a year after the conflict began, the Chinese government urged Russia and Ukraine to resume dialogue. “All parties must support Russia and Ukraine to work in the same direction and resume direct dialogue as soon as possible” for a “peaceful solution,” writes the Chinese Foreign Ministry. The document, titled “China’s position on the political solution to the Ukraine crisis,” was published on the ministry’s website on Friday morning.
China has been trying to play a mediating role in the Ukraine conflict for several weeks and has been promising for a few days to publish its position with a view to a political solution. In the document presented on Friday, Beijing takes a clear position against any recourse to nuclear weapons, while Russian President Vladimir Putin has made the threat.
“Nuclear weapons should not be used and nuclear war should not be waged. The threat or use of nuclear weapons must be countered,” the document said.
China also urges both countries to avoid attacks on civilians. “The (participating) parties to the conflict must strictly comply with international humanitarian law and avoid attacking civilians or civilian buildings,” emphasizes the ministry.
Officially neutral, China calls for respect for the sovereignty of states, including Ukraine, and urges the international community to heed Moscow’s security concerns. But Western pressure is mounting on Beijing, which has never publicly supported or criticized the Russian offensive while repeatedly voicing support for Moscow in the face of Western sanctions.
On Wednesday, the head of Chinese diplomacy Wang Yi traveled to Moscow, where he met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and President Putin. At the end of that visit, Moscow reported that Mr. Wang presented it with China’s approach to a “political solution” to the conflict.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday that he wants to discuss the document on China’s position with Beijing and sees the involvement of this close Moscow partner as “positive”.