CHINESE President Xi Jinping and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have finally spoken over the phone, their first official conversation since Russia launched its offensive in Ukraine last year.
And while the conversation centers around the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, it was also mentioned that Kyiv upholds the One-China Policy.
In the first phone call between Xi and Zelenskyy since the Russia-Ukraine conflict broke out, the Chinese President said now is the time to resolve the crisis.
Various Chinese media reported that during their phone talks, Xi told Zelenskyy that dialogue and negotiations are the only viable way out.
China won’t add ‘fuel to the fire’ in Ukraine — President Xi
Furthermore, Xi was saying,
“China will neither watch the fire from the other side nor add fuel to the fire, let alone take advantage of the crisis to profit.”
Xi then urged all sides to remain calm and restrained when dealing with the possibility of the conflict spiraling into a bigger confrontation, insisting that no one wins a nuclear war.
The Chinese president noted that China-Ukraine relations, after 31 years of development, have reached a level of strategic partnership, boosting the development and revitalization of both nations.
He commended Zelenskyy for stating, on multiple occasions, the importance he attaches to developing the bilateral relationship and advancing cooperation with China.
He also thanked the Ukrainian side for its strong assistance in the evacuation of Chinese nationals in 2022.
Xi noted his proposals of four points about what must be done, 4 things the international community must do together, and 3 observations.
On this basis, China released its position on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis. This refers to the 12-point roadmap for peace between Russia and Ukraine.
Zelenksyy, for his part, shared his views on the current state of the crisis and thanked China for providing humanitarian aid to his country.
He also welcomed China’s role in restoring peace and seeking a diplomatic solution to the crisis.
Ukraine committed to One-China Policy —Zelenskyy
Aside from the crisis between Moscow and Kyiv, it can be noted that during the phone talks, Zelenskyy said that Ukraine is committed to the One-China Policy and hopes to advance all-round bilateral cooperation with China, open up a new chapter in their relations and jointly safeguard world peace and stability.
Following the talks, Zelenskyy released a statement, calling it a long and quite rational conversation.
Xi promised to send a special envoy to Ukraine as well as other countries to conduct what he calls an in-depth communication regarding a resolution to the ongoing conflict.
It can be noted that China is positioning itself in the global state as a peacemaker, this is despite its ironclad ties with Russia.
China has resisted international pressure to condemn Moscow and impose sanctions since the conflict began.
The Chinese government has criticized Russia for attacking Ukraine but also agreed with Russia that the expansion of NATO near the Western border of Russia was among the major causes of the conflict.
