Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi assured his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kouleba on Friday that Beijing demanded respect for the “sovereignty and territorial integrity” of all countries, according to Chinese state media.
The two men met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. It was their first public meeting since the Russian military intervention began in late February.
The meeting, which could upset the Kremlin, comes at a time when Russia is organizing referendums in the regions of Ukraine that are wholly or partially controlled by Moscow. Described as “simulacra” by Kiev and Western countries, these referendums mark an escalation of the conflict.
“The president [chinês]Xi Jinping, stressed that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries must be respected”, Wang Yi told the Ukrainian counterpart. “The legitimate security concerns of all parties must be taken seriously,” the Chinese official added, citing Russian concerns over NATO’s expansion.
The two men had already spoken on the phone, but hadn’t seen each other since February.
The meeting appears to be a signal of Beijing’s desire to balance its position in the conflict, which is officially neutral but is sometimes seen as favorable to Moscow by Western countries.
Wang Yi met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in New York this week.
“China has always been committed to advancing peace negotiations, has never stood idly by or thrown ‘gasoline on the fire’, abused the situation to gain strategic advantages”said Wang Yi.
At the end of the meeting, Dmytro Kouleba posted on the social network Twitter a photo of him shaking hands with Wang Yi. The Chinese and Ukrainian flags appear in the background.
I met with State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi to discuss Ukraine-China relations. My colleague reaffirmed China’s respect for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as its rejection of the use of force as a means of resolving disputes. pic.twitter.com/4Q6kJxfNJB
— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) September 23, 2022
“My colleague reaffirmed China’s respect for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as its rejection of the use of force as a means of settling disputes.”reads Dmytro’s message.
Beijing has refused to publicly condemn Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine and has criticized Western sanctions, but this week reiterated its call for a “ceasefire” in Ukraine.
Source: DN
