On the eve of the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, China has called for a ceasefire between the two sides and for peace talks to commence as part of a 12-point plan to end the war.
China’s Foreign Ministry revealed the plan on Friday, Beijing time, and also called for the end of Western sanctions on Russia, measures to ensure nuclear facilities, humanitarian corridors for civilians to flee the conflict and a process to ensure the continuation of grain exports.
“All parties should support Russia and Ukraine in working in the same direction and resuming direct dialogue as quickly as possible,” the paper released on China’s Foreign Ministry’s website stated.
In the proposal, China indicated its opposition to the use of nuclear weapons in the conflict, as well as the threat of deploying them.
“Nuclear weapons must not be used and nuclear wars must not be fought. The threat or use of nuclear weapons should be opposed,” the paper said.
China also urged for civilians to be protected and for international law to be followed.
“Parties to the conflict should strictly abide by international humanitarian law, avoid attacking civilians or civilian facilities,” it said.
According to the United Nations human rights office, at least 8,000 non-combatants have been confirmed killed in the war in Ukraine and more than 13,000 have been injured.
Russia has also launched attacks against more than 250 Ukrainian hospitals since its Feb. 24, 2022, invasion, leaving nearly one in 10 Ukrainian hospitals damaged, according to a recent analysis by five different non-governmental organisations.
Despite the peace proposal, US officials have not ruled out that China could be preparing to provide lethal military aid to Russia.
Earlier this month, US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said at an event at the Brookings Institution in Washington, DC, that the US has “growing concern” about the Chinese-Russian partnership.
“My assessment is the PRC [People’s Republic of China] is trying to both increase its standing in the international community by saying that it’s willing to mediate and help bring this horrifying invasion to an end. And at the same time, they are committed to their no limits partnership with Russia,” Sherman said.
“And we have, certainly, concern and growing concern about that partnership and the PRC’s support for this invasion,” she added.
Chinese state-controlled firms have sold nonlethal drones and other equipment to both Russia and Ukraine since the start of the conflict.
China abstained Thursday when the United Nations General Assembly voted on a nonbinding resolution calling for Russia to end hostilities in Ukraine and withdraw from the former Soviet state.
After releasing the peace plan, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs vowed Friday that the PRC will “continue to play a constructive role” in the resumption of peace talks, but it did not elaborate as to how.
Top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi met on Wednesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow.
The Kremlin said Beijing had presented its views on approaches to a “political settlement” of the conflict.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday he had not seen the Chinese peace plan and wanted to meet with Beijing and discuss any proposal before assessing it.
“I think it is a very good fact in general that China started talking about Ukraine and sent some signals,” Zelensky said.
“We’ll draw some conclusions after we see the specifics of what they offer … We would like to have a meeting with China.”
The entire 12 points of China’s abstract peace proposal are listed below:
1. Respecting the sovereignty of all countries
2. Abandoning the Cold War mentality.
3. Ceasing hostilities.
4. Resuming peace talks.
5. Resolving the humanitarian crisis.
6. Protecting civilians and prisoners of war (POWs).
7. Keeping nuclear power plants safe.
8. Reducing strategic risks.
9. Facilitating grain exports.
10. Stopping unilateral sanctions.
11. Keeping industrial and supply chains stable.
12. Promoting post-conflict reconstruction.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is planning to visit Moscow for a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the coming months, according to a Wall Street Journal report.
The meeting is expected to be part of China’s push to end the war in Ukraine, according to the report.
China also highlighted the need to protect civilians.
“Parties to the conflict should strictly abide by international humanitarian law, avoid attacking civilians or civilian facilities,” it said.
The United States immediately criticised the paper, with President Joe Biden’s national security advisor saying the war “could end tomorrow if Russia stopped attacking Ukraine and withdrew its forces”.
Jake Sullivan told CNN: “My first reaction to it is that it could stop at point one, which is to respect the sovereignty of all nations.
“Ukraine wasn’t attacking Russia. NATO wasn’t attacking Russia. The United States wasn’t attacking Russia.
“Russia has already lost this war. Russia’s aims in the war were to wipe Ukraine off the map, to absorb it into Russia. They failed at doing that and they are in no position to be able to do that.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday he had not seen any Chinese peace plan and wanted to meet with Beijing over their proposal before assessing it.
“I think it is a very good fact in general that China started talking about Ukraine and sent some signals,” Zelensky said.
“We’ll draw some conclusions after we see the specifics of what they offer… We would like to have a meeting with China.” Since Russian tanks rolled over the border into Ukraine, China has offered Putin diplomatic and financial support, but refrained from overt military involvement or sending caches of lethal arms.
Chinese state-controlled firms have sold non-lethal drones and other equipment to both Russia and Ukraine, but Moscow has been forced to turn to Iran for much-needed supplies such as unmanned aerial vehicles.
The United States has said North Korea has also provided rockets and artillery shells.
Washington believes that might be about to change, with both the United States and NATO voicing concerns that China could be planning to supply Russia with weapons to prop up its war effort. Beijing has denied the claims.
