Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi talks with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in Guangzhou, South China’s Guangdong province.

Chinese, Ukrainian foreign ministers hold talks, ‘highlighting China’s significant role in promoting peace’

(Global Times) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba on Wednesday in Guangzhou, South China’s Guangdong province, with Kuleba saying Ukraine is willing and prepared to conduct dialogue and negotiations with Russia.
Some experts said Kuleba’s visit to China at this time clearly shows that he recognises China’s sincere efforts in mediating the Russia-Ukraine conflict and its influence as a major power. This approach aligns with Ukraine’s interests. If Ukraine continues to rely solely on the US-led West as it did in the past, it is likely to be abandoned, they said.
Wang said China believes the resolution of all conflicts ultimately requires returning to the negotiation table, and that all disputes must be resolved through political means, adding that recently both Ukraine and Russia have shown willingness for negotiations.
The Ukraine crisis has entered its third year, with the conflict still ongoing and the risk of escalation and spillover remaining, Wang said, noting that China has consistently been committed to promoting a political resolution to the crisis.
Wang said the four principles laid out by President Xi Jinping form China’s fundamental approach to finding a solution to the crisis.
On this basis, Wang said that China and Brazil have jointly outlined six common understandings for a political resolution of the Ukraine crisis, including three principles for managing the conflict, three elements for a peace plan, three humanitarian concerns, as well as important measures to prevent nuclear risks and ensure the stability of industrial and supply chains.
“Although the conditions and timing are not yet ripe, we support all efforts conducive to peace and stand ready to continue to play a constructive role for a ceasefire and resumption of peace talks,” Wang said, adding that China is closely following the humanitarian situation in Ukraine and will continue to provide humanitarian assistance to the country.
Kuleba said the Ukrainian side attached importance to China’s views, and studied the six common understandings for a political resolution of the Ukraine crisis. “The Ukrainian side is willing to and preparing to conduct dialogue and negotiations with Russia. Of course, negotiations should be rational and substantive, aiming to achieve a just and lasting peace,” Kuleba said, according to a statement on website of the Chinese foreign ministry.
Kuleba’s four-day visit to China, which was also the first one since the Russia-Ukraine conflict began in 2022, has taken place when the global geopolitical landscape is going through major changes, some experts said.
Following US President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the presidential race, it’s widely believed that Washington’s stance on the Ukraine crisis may change. Also, across Europe, calls advocating for reduced aid to Ukraine are growing louder as the domestic political landscape in countries like France and the UK are also undergoing rapid changes, experts noted.
“In fact, China’s role on the Ukraine crisis has always been promoting peace talks, and the fact that Kuleba is coming to China for talks demonstrates Ukraine’s growing recognition of China’s role in fostering peace negotiations,” Zhang Hong, an associate research fellow at the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Wednesday.
In a video posted late Tuesday on his social media accounts, Kuleba said China can play a significant role in the pursuit of a just and stable peace on the Ukraine crisis, the AP said.
“The fact that Donald Trump stating that he will immediately resolve the Russia-Ukraine conflict if he takes office worries Kiev,” Cui Heng, a scholar from the Shanghai-based China National Institute for SCO International Exchange and Judicial Cooperation, told the Global Times on Wednesday.
Trump might force Ukraine to cede sovereignty and territory to quickly reach a peace agreement with Russia, which would make Ukraine a pawn in the power game between major nations, Cui noted.
During the meeting, Kuleba said Ukraine highly appreciates China’s positive and constructive role in promoting peace and maintaining international order.

(Latest Update July 26, 2024)