Western powers cannot tell China how to act in light of the military conflict in Ukraine. This was expressed in an interview with the Izvestia newspaper by the Chinese Ambassador to Moscow, Zhang Hanhui.
“It was not the Chinese side that created the Ukraine crisis, the PRC is not a party to it and did not provide weapons to any of the parties to the conflict. The West is not in a position to give instructions to China, and moreover, it does not have the authority to put the responsibility on it, ”said the diplomat.
He recalled that from the very beginning of the conflict, the PRC offered several initiatives for a peaceful resolution “through dialogue and negotiations”.
According to Zhang, China has no interest in the Ukraine issue. However, he added that Beijing is not just an outside observer. But at the same time, the ambassador stressed that China “is not fueling the fire and seizing the moment to take advantage”.
It concluded that China was in favor of “calling for peace and facilitating negotiations” and would “absolutely stand on the side of peace, dialogue and historical justice”.
Xi’s calls
On April 6, Chinese President Xi Jinping met with French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Xi urged the international community to restart peace talks to resolve the conflict in Ukraine as soon as possible.
“China is ready to cooperate with France, urging the international community to restart peace talks as soon as possible,” he said.
Xi pointed to the need for a political solution to the Ukraine problem and recommended building a balanced, efficient and sustainable European security structure. It also recommended adherence to the principle of non-proliferation in the context of the Ukraine conflict.
At the same time, the Chinese leader said that “there is no miraculous cure for overcoming the crisis”. In his opinion, all parties to the conflict should create acceptable conditions for the cessation of hostilities and the holding of peace talks.
He also stressed that China pursues an independent foreign policy and supports the right of the world’s peoples to pursue their own development paths.
The American newspaper Politico soon reported that French President Macron failed to persuade Xi Jinping to “call Russia to stop” during his visit.
Xi recalled that “all parties” had “reasonable security concerns”. The article said that the Chinese President “did not give the slightest hint that he would use his influence to end the conflict.”
According to a French diplomat familiar with the negotiations, during a private meeting with the Chinese leader, Macron expressed Western concerns that Beijing will supply arms to Moscow.
“The president urged Xi not to provide Russia with supplies to aid him in its war against Ukraine. Xi said this war is none of his business,” the diplomat said while anonymously describing a private conversation between the two leaders.
other opinions
Press Secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov commented on Macron’s plans to “convince” China that Russia can “reason”.
Peskov noted that Beijing has an effective and impressive potential in the provision of mediation services.
“In the case of Ukraine, the situation is still complicated unless it shows hope for peaceful regulation. “There is no other way for us to continue the special operation now,” said a representative of Vladimir Putin.
At the same time, Chinese officials expressed other views. On April 5, Fu Cong, China’s Ambassador to the European Union, described the “unlimited friendship” statement between China and Russia as a rhetorical tool. He made this statement before meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
According to Fu Cong, “unlimited friendship is nothing but rhetoric.”
The ambassador also noted that China does not support Russia’s special operation in Ukraine, does not recognize Crimea and other “new territories” as Russian territory. He also added that Beijing does not provide military support to Moscow.