Beijing is ready for dialogue with the European Union for the peaceful resolution of the armed conflict in Ukraine. stated Mao Ning, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It therefore responded to Ursula von der Leyen’s call, the president of the European Commission, to “play a constructive role” in resolving the crisis.
“We expect the European side to demonstrate strategic independence and political wisdom and take decisive action to ensure long-term peace and stability in Europe,” the diplomat said.
Mao Ning stressed that China is not a party to the hostilities in Ukraine, but “strongly supports” the peace process and provides “active assistance” to it.
The President of the European Commission will visit China on 5-7 April. In an interview with a newspaper before his visit, he said: Finance TimesBeijing should play a constructive role in resolving the conflict.
“China is in a position to influence Russia constructively and therefore has a responsibility,” von der Leyen said. “You can’t be in the middle, you can’t be for half the international order.”
According to him, the European Union is “concerned about the friendly attitude” [Китая] Towards Russia.” The EC chief had previously stated that Beijing’s stance on the conflict in Ukraine will be a determining factor for relations between the European Union and China.
french goals
Along with the EC president, French President Emmanuel Macron will visit Beijing. According to Bloomberg, if the French president convinces China to start a “long-term dialogue” with Ukraine during his visit, Paris will consider it a success. Macron also hopes he can persuade Xi Jinping not to accelerate rapprochement with Russia and not play a mediating role in resolving the crisis.
If there is one country that can force Moscow to change its calculations, it is China. An Elysee Palace official said ahead of Macron’s three-day state visit to the country.
The French official also highlighted China’s unique ability to “have a decisive influence on the conflict”, adding that it could either help or harm depending on its choice.
“In total, President [Франции] He will hold talks with the Chinese leader for six to seven hours. Citing an unidentified official from the Elysee Palace, Politico notes that the fact that he will be the first French president to visit Guangzhou is a very personal touch.
Macron will be accompanied by Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire and Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, as well as executives of about 50 French companies, including Airbus.
After the visit of Macron and von der Leyen, the head of EU diplomacy, Josep Borrell, plans to visit China. He promised to come “next week”.
“Our clear message to China is to contribute to a just world. They cannot support aggression… This is our message to China after today’s meeting and all the visits by EU politicians,” he said.
Earlier, von der Leyen stressed the importance of maintaining open diplomatic channels with Beijing. Fu Kong, China’s ambassador to the EU, told the Financial Times last week that he is optimistic and expects European politicians’ visit to bring tangible results. On April 3, Mao Ning noted that the “healthy and stable” development of relations between the European Union and China is not only in the interests of both parties, but also “promotes peace and stability” around the world.
In late February, China presented its version of the peace plan to resolve the crisis in Ukraine. The 12 articles of the Chinese initiative include cessation of hostilities, resumption of negotiations, cessation of sanctions, respect for the sovereignty of all states, adherence to the principle that it should not be achieved at the expense of a country’s security. another.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized the project, saying it was not feasible because it did not contain a clause on the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine. At the same time, Russia believes that China’s proposals can be taken into account when developing a peaceful solution plan in the future.