China on Friday called for a cease-fire in Ukraine and the start of peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow.
It was part of a 12-point peace plan to resolve the war through political means.
Beijing has presented a neutral stance in the war. However, China has also said it has a “no limits friendship” with Russia and has refused to condemn the invasion of Ukraine.
What China’s 12-point paper on the war in Ukraine said
Dialogue and negotiations are the “only feasible solution to the Ukraine crisis,” according to the proposal released by the foreign ministry.
Beijing also said unilateral sanctions and maximum pressure cannot solve the issue and “they only create new problems.”
“China opposes unilateral sanctions unauthorized by the UN Security Council. Relevant countries should stop abusing ‘long-arm jurisdiction’ against other countries,” the document laid out.
While Russian President Vladimir Putin has talked up Moscow’s nuclear arsenal , China’s peace plan said, “nuclear weapons cannot be used, and nuclear war cannot be fought. The threat or use of nuclear weapons should be opposed.”
“All parties must stay rational and exercise restraint, avoid fanning the flames and aggravating tensions, and prevent the crisis from deteriorating further or even spiraling out of control,” the document added.
Other points call for protection for prisoners of war and stopping attacks on civilians, keeping nuclear power plants safe and facilitating grain exports.
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Reactions to China’s peace plan
Ukraine called the position paper “a good sign” and said it expects China to be more active in its support of Ukraine.
“We hope they also urge Russia to stop the war and withdraw its troops,” Ukraine’s charge d’affaires in Beijing, Zhanna Leshchynska, said.
However, the United States criticized the paper with the US national security advisor saying the war “could end tomorrow if Russia stopped attacking Ukraine and withdrew its forces”.
China’s relations with Russia
The position paper was released by China at a time when Beijing is being accused of considering supplying arms to Russia but it has dismissed the allegations.
China is maintaining a close relationship with Russia while also trying to position itself as a neutral party to the conflict.
On Wednesday, China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi visited Moscow and met with Putin and Russia’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov.
The statement released after their meeting quoted Wang saying China was willing to “deepen political trust” and “strengthen strategic coordination” with Russia.
mf/rt (AP/AFP)
Article source: https://www.dw.com/en/china-urges-russia-ukraine-cease-fire-and-peace-talks/a-64806426?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf