China Reaffirms Support for Russia’s Position on Ukraine Conflict in Phone Call between Foreign Ministers
China’s top diplomat, Foreign Minister Wang Yi, reassured Russia that Beijing’s position on the war in Ukraine has not wavered. This comes after a Chinese envoy attended a multilateral forum to discuss how to end the conflict, which Russia was excluded from. In a phone call on Monday, Wang Yi and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov affirmed the strong partnership between the two governments and promised to work together to resist Western actions to contain their development.
The two foreign ministers also discussed the war in Ukraine, but neither side’s press release directly mentioned a weekend diplomatic conference in Saudi Arabia. The conference, which the United States later said China played a positive role in discussing potential avenues for peace in Ukraine, sought to reassure Moscow about China’s position in the war. However, the conference was clearly referenced in Wang Yi’s comments.
According to the press release from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Wang Yi stated that China will uphold an independent and impartial stance on the Ukrainian crisis on any international multilateral occasion. China will actively promote peace talks and strive to find a political solution to the conflict. The Chinese press release maintained Beijing’s longstanding reluctance to describe the conflict as a war.
The Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying that the call confirmed that the Russian and Chinese governments adopted the same or basically consistent attitudes in international affairs. However, the statement did not elaborate on the discussions on the Ukraine issue. Lavrov and Wang Yi reaffirmed their commitment to maintain close foreign policy coordination.
The phone call took place a day after senior officials from 42 countries, including China and the United States, held a diplomatic conference in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to discuss a potential peaceful solution to the war in Ukraine. Ukraine and its Western allies view the closed-door talks as an effort to gain global support for peace terms favorable to Ukraine.
As Russia’s most important diplomatic partner, China is seen as key to advancing the peace talks and influencing Russia’s red lines and concerns in any peace plan. The United States expressed appreciation for China’s presence at the Jeddah meeting and stated that China’s role in ending the war in Ukraine would be productive if it respected Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
Head of the Ukrainian president’s office, Andriy Yermak, expressed hope for a deepening bilateral relationship with China and emphasized the importance of China knowing the truth about the conflict. Yermak encouraged China to move closer to Ukraine’s position in order to end the war.
Most of the countries participating in the Jeddah meeting, including China, are willing to meet again in the coming weeks, while Russia will be excluded. China’s special envoy for peace in the Ukraine war, Li Hui, led the Chinese delegation to the meeting. China’s attendance marks a change in attitude, as the country did not participate in similar talks earlier this year.
During the Jeddah meeting, the Chinese delegation presented China’s 12-point position statement, which called for a ceasefire and an end to the war through peace talks. European diplomats expressed disapproval, warning that an unconditional ceasefire could lead to a stalemate and allow Russia to consolidate its grip on Ukrainian territory.
China quoted Lavrov in its description of the phone call between the two foreign ministers, highlighting Russia’s appreciation for China’s constructive role in resolving the Ukraine crisis. China also stated that Moscow “highly agrees” with Beijing’s current position on Ukraine.
While the phone call emphasized the partnership between China and Russia, Chinese officials have expressed concerns about the global impact of a prolonged conflict in Ukraine. They have also warned against the use of nuclear weapons, implicitly criticizing the potential use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine.
China’s continued support for Russia has unsettled European countries since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. As a result, some European leaders are hesitant to attend a summit in Beijing this fall where Chinese leader Xi Jinping will host Russian President Vladimir Putin and other foreign leaders to discuss China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
Overall, China’s reaffirmation of support for Russia’s position on the Ukraine conflict highlights the strong partnership between the two countries but raises concerns among European nations. The role of China in the peace talks and its commitment to finding a political solution will continue to be closely watched.