Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a telephone conversation with his British counterpart, the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the Advisor to the French Presidency to discuss the situation in Ukraine. “The current situation is something we don’t want to see”assured the official.
As Clarín reported, the foreign minister’s message is in tune with the talk between Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin. Apparently, the Chinese president persuaded him to start negotiations to close the crisis. The diplomatic tone of the dialogue is not clear.
As officially reported by the Chinese government, during the talk with European officials, Wang Yi presented his position, summarized in five points through a statement.
He stated that China “firmly advocates respecting and safeguarding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries and earnestly abiding by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. This position is consistent and clear, and applies equally to Ukraine“.
He then argued that for China “regional security cannot be guaranteed by strengthening or even expanding military groups.” And warned about the behavior of NATO: “States’ legitimate security concerns must be respected. Under the circumstance of five consecutive rounds of NATO’s eastward expansion, Russia’s legitimate security demands must be taken seriously and properly addressed.”
Wang Yi said that China has been paying attention to the development of the Ukraine issue. “The current situation is something we don’t want to see. It is imperative that all parties exercise the necessary restraint to prevent the situation in Ukraine from worsening or even spiraling out of control.. The safety of civilian life and property must be effectively ensured, especially to prevent large-scale humanitarian crises,” he noted.
On the possible way out of the conflict, the Chinese foreign minister opted for dialogue. “Ukraine should be a bridge between East and West, not a frontier of confrontation between great powers. China also supports equal dialogue between the EU and Russia on European security issues, to eventually form a balanced, effective and sustainable European security mechanism.” “, he claimed.
there was also criticism of the role of the UN. “Measures taken by the Security Council should cool rather than stoke tensions, and should facilitate a diplomatic solution rather than further escalation. In light of this, China has always disapproved of Security Council resolutions that frequently invoke Chapter VII , which authorizes the use of force and sanctions,” he said.
“We never invade other countries, never engage in proxy wars, never seek spheres of influence, and never engage in bloc military confrontations,” Wang Yi concluded.