China is pushing for peace talks
China urges peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. “China hopes that all parties will remain calm, reasonable and restrained and resume peace talks as soon as possible,” Foreign Minister Qin Gang told his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba in a phone call, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.
Qin said China fears the conflict is spiraling out of control and urged talks with Moscow for a political solution. Beijing will continue to play a constructive role in reaching a ceasefire and ending the war. China has already presented a 12-point plan that should lead to a ceasefire. Ukraine and Russia have so far reacted cautiously to Beijing’s advance.
Last year, China said its friendship with Russia knows no bounds. The government did not condemn the Russian attack on Ukraine and accused NATO and the US of provoking Russia. While China and Ukraine have maintained diplomatic ties, their top officials are believed to have had only sporadic contact. Beijing has also accused the West of fueling the conflict by supplying arms to Ukraine.
At a press conference on March 7, Qin accused the US of undermining peace efforts in Ukraine in order to expand and exploit the conflict for its own benefit. The State Department did not mention whether Qin repeated those remarks to Kuleba or raised China’s February peace proposal. Chinese President Xi Jinping is currently planning a visit to Russia, possibly as early as next week. However, neither side has confirmed a date.