Johannesburg (TDI): Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi has said that China supports the peace efforts of the United States and Russia in Ukraine war.
While addressing at the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Summit in Johannesburg, he said that China has noticed that recently, “the calls for peace talks are rising.”
Although the parties have different positions and it is hard to find simple solutions to complex issues, “dialogue is always better than confrontation,” and peace talks are better than fighting, he said.
He added that China supports all efforts dedicated to peace, including the recent consensus reached between the United States and Russia.
He further stated, “We hope that the relevant parties can find a sustainable and lasting solution that takes into account each other’s concerns. Acting on the wishes of the relevant parties and keeping in mind the concerns of the international community, especially those of the Global South, China will continue playing a constructive role in the political settlement of the crisis.”
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Moreover, Wang Yi met his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the G20 Summit and discussed bilateral relations and matters of mutual interest.
China and Russia have strong bilateral economic ties. China is one of the largest importers of oil and gas from Russia.
Last month, President Vladimir Putin and President Xi Jinping discussed “new plans for the development of the Russian-Chinese comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation.”
Both leaders pledged to boost cooperation between Beijing and Moscow.
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President Donald Trump repeatedly expressed his desire to end the Ukraine war.
On February 12, the Kremlin announced that President Putin of Russia had a telephone conversation with Donald Trump, after which, the two leaders sent their high-level officials to meet in Riyadh.
Meanwhile, the Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, while addressing the European leaders at the Ukraine Defense Contract Group (UDCG) meeting, stated that the United States does not believe that NATO membership for Ukraine would be a “realistic outcome” of any negotiated peace settlement with Russia.
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He also hinted at the policy of the United States in US-Russia peace negotiations when he called it “an unrealistic objective to try to return Ukraine to its pre-2014 borders.”
China’s willingness to play a “constructive role in the political settlement of the crisis” reflects a shift in China’s diplomatic approach towards Western countries.
