Inserted23 September 2022, 14:44
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HESino-Ukrainian summit in New York
Chinese and Ukrainian foreign ministers meet at the UN General Assembly. Beijing insists “on the territorial integrity of all countries”, which may displease Moscow.
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A surprise meeting that could annoy Moscow: the Chinese foreign minister, Wang Yi, spoke on Friday with his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kouleba, assuring him that Beijing was asking to respect “the territorial integrity of all countries”. The two men met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. This is their first face-to-face public meeting since the beginning of the Russian military intervention in Ukraine at the end of February.
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This interview comes at a time when referendums on annexation to Russia began on Friday in the regions of Ukraine wholly or partly controlled by Moscow. These polls, described as “sham” by Kiev and the West, mark a clear escalation of the conflict.
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“Sovereignty”, “integrity”, “legitimate concerns”
“President Xi Jinping stressed that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be respected,” Wang Yi told his Ukrainian counterpart on Friday. “The legitimate security concerns of all sides must be taken seriously,” he added, in an apparent reference to Russian concerns about NATO expansion.
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Similar observations had already been made by spokesmen for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. But this is the first time they have been spoken orally in front of a senior Ukrainian official. Wang Yi and Dmytro Kouleba had talked to each other on the phone, mostly in March and April, but hadn’t met since February.
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“China has always been committed to promoting peace talks, never standing by, adding fuel to the flames or taking advantage of the situation for personal gain”.
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This meeting could be a sign that China, officially neutral but sometimes accused by Westerners of being too conciliatory with Russia, seems to want to balance its position more. Wang Yi had already met the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, in New York this week.
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“Refusal of the use of force”
“China has always been committed to promoting peace talks, never standing by, adding fuel to the fire or taking advantage of the situation for personal gain,” Wang said on Friday. After the meeting, Dmytro Kouleba’s Twitter account posted a photo of a handshake between the two men, against the backdrop of Chinese and Ukrainian flags. “My counterpart reaffirmed China’s respect for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as its rejection of the use of force as a means of resolving disputes,” he tweeted.
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China and Russia have come closer in recent years, intensifying their relations to counterbalance the United States. Beijing did not openly support or criticize the Russian invasion. But Chinese diplomacy has repeatedly expressed its support for Moscow in the face of Western sanctions. China, however, reiterated its call for a “ceasefire” in Ukraine this week.
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(AFP)
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