In a phone discussion with his Ukrainian associate Dmytro Kuleba, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi reiterated Beijing's support for negotiation to end the violence in Ukraine.
The conversation was the first known high-level communication between the two countries since March 1, when Kuleba encouraged Beijing to use its connections with Moscow to end Russia's assault, according to the Ukrainian foreign ministry at the time.
"China believes that an effective, sustainable, and balanced European security system should be properly formed through equal communication centered on the principle of indivisibility of security," Wang, who is also a state councilor, told Kuleba over the phone.
Kuleba said that China and Ukraine believed that stopping the war in his country is in the best interests of global food security, international trade, and most importantly, peace.
Wang stated that China thinks the Ukrainian side has enough knowledge to make decisions that are in the best interests of its people and that China will continue to serve a constructive role from an impartial and just standpoint.
China, which has drawn closer to Moscow in the past few years while also maintaining cordial diplomatic relations and significant trading ties with Ukraine, has declined to criticize Russia's assault on the country or label its operations there an invasion while blaming the US and NATO for the current conflict.
According to a statement issued by China's foreign ministry, Wang stated that China does not want personal geopolitical benefits or to do anything that puts fuel to the fire over the Ukraine conflict and that peace is the main goal the country is continuously hoping for.
"On the Ukraine issue, China has no geopolitical self-interest, no mentality of seeing the fire from across the river, and will not do anything to aggravate the fire."
But China still encourages Russia-Ukraine peace talks, according to Wang, and "we must continue to the main direction of peace discussions until a ceasefire is established and peace is secured, no matter how difficult and diverse they are."
Kuleba was cited in the Chinese statement as saying that Kyiv cherishes China's global influence, is eager to maintain contact with Beijing, and hopes that Beijing will continue to play a vital role in the truce and the end of the war.
Kuleba advocated the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, or Panchsheel, as per the Chinese statement, calling it a key positive force in upholding and encouraging peace.
