China has called on all parties to support Russia and Ukraine in reaching “a comprehensive ceasefire”, as Beijing on Friday put out a new position paper spelling out its stand on the crisis.
Released on the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion, the paper reflected Beijing’s approach of, on the one hand, saying it supported the “sovereignty” of all countries, while on the other, criticising the West and NATO, suggesting implicitly that their actions had been responsible for triggering the invasion. The U.S., for its part, has criticised Beijing for its continued close relations with Russia.
Explained | The past and present of Russia’s war in Ukraine
“Sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of all countries must be effectively upheld,” the paper said, while adding that “the security of a region should not be achieved by strengthening or expanding military blocs.”
On the way forward, it said China’s view was that “conflict and war benefit no one” and “all parties should support Russia and Ukraine in working in the same direction and resuming direct dialogue as quickly as possible, so as to gradually deescalate the situation and ultimately reach a comprehensive ceasefire.”
On this count, the positions of India and China have been broadly similar, calling for diplomacy without criticising Russia. Both have also sought to flag food security concerns of the Global South. The paper called on all parties “to implement the Black Sea Grain Initiative signed by Russia, Turkiye, Ukraine and the UN fully and effectively in a balanced manner.”
The prominent difference in the two countries’ positions has been with regard to China’s repeated criticism of NATO, which, for Western observers, has raised questions on its ability to play any role as a possible mediator. Top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi’s visit to Russia this week, as well as recently frequent declarations by both sides that relations were currently in their “best period in history”, have reinforced those questions.
Friday’s position paper, however, said “dialogue and negotiation are the only viable solution to the Ukraine crisis” and that China would “continue to play a constructive role” with pushing for a resumption in negotiations.
