On Friday, China again called for a ceasefire and peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. It comes days after the US said it had information suggesting China was considering sending “lethal support” to Russia.
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China has again called for a ceasefire and peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.
In a 12-point report released on Friday, China’s Foreign Ministry said: “All parties should support Russia and Ukraine to work in the same direction and resume direct dialogue as soon as possible to gradually ease the situation and finally achieve a comprehensive ceasefire.” .”
While the paper repeated the talk from Beijing, it was published on one year anniversary about Russia’s unprovoked war against Ukraine.
The position document also comes a few days after as Foreign Minister Antony Blinken said the U.S. has information indicating China is considering sending “lethal support” to Russia.
“Nuclear weapons must not be used,” the Chinese government said in a document titled “China’s Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis.”
In a newspaper, the Chinese government called on the international community to support the “correct approach” in facilitating peace talks between the two countries, saying Beijing wanted to “play a constructive role”.
Without mentioning the US or its allies that support Washington-led sanctions, China said: “Relevant countries should stop abusing unilateral sanctions and ‘long-arm jurisdiction’ against other countries to do their part to de-escalate the Ukraine crisis.”
China has previously expressed concern about the ongoing war in Ukraine, p Premier Li Keqiang last March he said he was “deeply” concerned about a crisis in the region.
However, it is less clear how much Beijing has done or is practically capable of doing to promote peace talks. Its representatives often communicated with each other.
Wang Yi – a former Chinese foreign minister who was recently promoted to a senior diplomatic role – met Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow this week, according to state media. At the meeting, Wang said it was important not to give up on peace efforts The state media reported on it.
In addition to the significant cost in human lives, the war in Ukraine has destroyed the local economy, one of the world’s largest grain producers.
As the war enters its second year, analysts told CNBC that Russia will seek to conquer key regions of Ukraine.
In a speech from Beijing on the one-year anniversary of the war, European Union Ambassador to China Jorge Toledo Albinana called on China to take measures to support peace in Ukraine.
“We continue to call on our host, China, to fulfill its special responsibility,” he said, adding that China has an obligation to “defend the charter in the face of aggression,” he said during the meeting. live briefing.
Markets “underestimate” risks
Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average continued to slide after the release during Asian hours, last trading 30 points lower in Asian afternoon trade.
Geopolitical risks are being underestimated by the market, said Peter Garnry, director of equity strategy at Saxo Markets. Note earlier this week.
“If China decides to help Russia with weapons, then globalization as we know it is over and supply chains will once again be thrown into chaos,” he wrote.
“If we broaden the perspective of geopolitical risks, we see that the pro-inflationary risks are significant if the war in Ukraine worsens,” he said.
— CNBC’s Evelyn Cheng contributed to this report.
