Chinese President Xi Jinping assured the Ukrainian premier that “China is always on the side of peace.” During the first phone conversation between the two since the start of the war, Xi called for “negotiation”.
“On the matter of the Ukrainian crisis, China has always been on the side of peace and its fundamental position is to promote dialogue for peace,” state television CCTV reported. The leader further assured that “dialogue and negotiation” is the “only way” out of conflict with Russia.
For his part, the Ukrainian president said in a tweet the Ukrainian president confirmed to AFP that he had a “long and significant” meeting with his Chinese counterpart. He also said he believed in “a powerful impetus in the development of bilateral relations” between Kiev and Beijing.
The conversation between the two heads of state lasted “almost an hour”, Mr. Zelensky’s spokesman, Sergei Naikiforov, told AFP. It was the first known exchange between the two since the start of the war in Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Their last call was in July 2021.
“officially neutral”
Last February, Volodymyr Zelensky considered working with China to resolve the conflict with Russia “necessary”.
In March, he reiterated that he wanted to discuss the matter with his Chinese counterpart and “wait for a response” from him. But according to experts, Beijing is not responding to Ukrainian proposals.
Officially, China calls itself officially neutral, but Chinese President Xi Jinping has not condemned the Russian invasion and so far has not even spoken to President Zelensky on the phone.
Instead, he recently moved to Moscow to reaffirm his partnership with Russian President Vladimir Putin under the guise of an anti-Western front.
“Peace Project”
China earlier released a 12-point document outlining its position on the Ukraine conflict in February. The initiative, sometimes seen as a peace plan, specifically urges Moscow and Kiev to negotiate.
The text also opposes the use of nuclear weapons and calls for respect for the territorial integrity of all nations, and also refers to a part of Ukraine, part of which is under Russian control.
Beijing did not approve the annexation of four regions of the Ukrainian Donbass into the Russian Federation in September, and did not do so when it annexed Crimea in 2014.
China, which has not publicly condemned the war in Ukraine, has dramatically increased political and economic cooperation with its Russian neighbor in recent months.
Beijing-Moscow relations, strained during the Cold War, have strengthened significantly in recent decades to create a common front against US influence.
During a visit to China in early April, French President Emmanuel Macron urged Xi Jinping to “bring Russia to its senses” against Ukraine and urged Moscow not to supply arms.
This article was published automatically. Sources: ats / afp
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