“China Joins Russia in Mediating Ukraine Conflict, Says Foreign Minister Qin Gang”

International

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – The increasingly heated war between Russia and China has made China feel that it has to be directly involved in mediating the conflict.

Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang said his country will work with Russia to work out peace between Moscow and Kyiv after meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Diplomats discussed the issue on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) foreign ministers summit in Goa, India.

“China will continue to promote peace negotiations and is willing to maintain communication and coordination with Russia to make a real contribution to the political resolution of the crisis,” Qin said, in a statement by the Chinese Foreign Ministry, quoted on Saturday (6/5/2023).

Russia’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying diplomats discussed Ukraine among other “urgent matters”. He added that Lavrov and Qin condemned “the practice of modern neocolonialism which has had a detrimental effect on the development of most countries in the world and in all areas of international relations.”

Previously, Chinese President Xi Jinping met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow in March. Last month, Xi also spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky by telephone for the first time since Russia launched its military operation in the neighboring country in February 2022.

After that, Beijing assigned Li Hui, China’s special envoy for Eurasian Affairs and former ambassador to Russia as a peace broker.

Unlike many countries in the West, China refuses to condemn Russia’s actions in Ukraine. Beijing also supports Moscow’s position that NATO’s expansion towards Russia’s borders played a major role in fueling the conflict.

In February, China unveiled a 12-point roadmap for peace, urging Moscow and Kyiv to resume direct negotiations. Putin said that many points of China’s plan were “harmonious” with Russia’s position and could serve as the basis for a future settlement.

Mikhail Podoliak, Zelensky’s top adviser, criticized the plan, arguing that it greatly favored Moscow.

Meaningful peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine broke down in the spring of 2022. Zelensky has since ruled out negotiating with Putin. Moscow has also stated that the provisions put forward by Kyiv are unacceptable.

(luc/luc)