French President Emmanuel Macron has announced that he will travel to China in early April to seek the Chinese government’s assistance in ending the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This comes after China released a 12-point position paper that calls for a ceasefire and a “political settlement” to end the year-long conflict. Macron stated that peace can only be achieved if “Russian aggression is halted, troops withdrawn, and the territorial sovereignty of Ukraine and its people is respected”. He also added that China should help put pressure on Russia to prevent the use of chemical or nuclear weapons.
Beijing has sought to remain a neutral party in the conflict, while maintaining close ties with Russia and blocking a joint statement condemning the war at a G20 gathering in India. The Chinese position paper urges an end to Western sanctions against Russia, the establishment of humanitarian corridors for the evacuation of civilians, and steps to ensure the export of grain after disruptions caused global food prices to spike last year. It also made clear its opposition to the use and threat of deploying nuclear weapons after Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened to use Moscow’s atomic arsenal in the conflict.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed China’s efforts, saying Kyiv needed to cooperate with Beijing to put an end to the war. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, however, said China was not well placed to negotiate an end to the war due to its lack of condemnation of the illegal invasion of Ukraine. The United States has also accused China of “considering providing lethal support” to Russia, which Beijing has denied.
Analysts in China believe that Beijing’s refusal to condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine makes it “the only honest broker who can help resolve the conflict”. They point out that China would benefit from an end to hostilities and that playing a role in bringing this conflict to a close would burnish its reputation.
Shortly after Macron’s announcement, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang told his Belarusian counterpart Sergei Aleinik in a phone call that Beijing was willing to work with Minsk to deepen mutual political trust. China also expressed its support for Belarus in maintaining national stability and its opposition to attempts by “external forces” to interfere in its internal affairs or impose “illegal” unilateral sanctions on Minsk.
In conclusion, French President Emmanuel Macron has announced his intention to visit China in early April to seek assistance in ending the Russian invasion of Ukraine. China has released a 12-point position paper calling for a ceasefire and political settlement, while also expressing its opposition to the use and threat of deploying nuclear weapons. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has welcomed China’s efforts, while NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has expressed scepticism at China’s commitment to brokering peace due to its lack of condemnation of the illegal invasion of Ukraine. Analysts in China believe that Beijing’s refusal to condemn the Russian invasion makes it “the only honest broker who can help resolve the conflict”, as it would benefit from an end to hostilities and burnish its reputation. Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang has also expressed Beijing’s willingness to work with Belarus to deepen mutual political trust and oppose attempts by “external forces” to interfere in its internal affairs.