Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba met with Minister of Foreign Affairs of China (PRC) Wang Yi in the city of Guangzhou. There they held negotiations for more than three hours.
As a representative of the Ukrainian delegation told Reuters, the talks between Dmytro Kuleba and Wang Yi lasted longer than planned, and the conversation was "deep and specific." The main topic was Russiaʼs aggression against Ukraine and Chinaʼs possible participation in the settlement of the war.
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Before the talks, Kuleba said that Ukraine seeks to restore a just peace, and this is also in line with Chinaʼs strategic interests, since the war provoked by the Russian Federation has affected the development of trade between the Peopleʼs Republic of China and Europe. The minister added that Ukraine will become a member of the EU, so he invited Wang Yi to discuss relations through the prism of Ukraineʼs future membership and relations with the EU.
Official statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China
According to the results of the meeting, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China stated that during the negotiations, representatives of both sides emphasized the need to develop bilateral relations in the long term and strengthen bilateral cooperation. Wang Yi said that China will buy even more grain from Ukraine and contribute to international food security.
Wang Yi called the war a "crisis". China sees "risks of escalation" and advocates a "political settlement." Wang Yi again mentioned the Sino-Brazilian "peace plan" and said that China believes that "the resolution of all conflicts should ultimately return to the negotiating table."
According to him, "both Ukraine and Russia have recently sent varying degrees of signals of readiness for negotiations", and despite the fact that "the conditions and time are not yet ripe", China is ready to contribute to the restoration of peace.
At the end, the Chinese Foreign Ministry stated that "Ukraine is willing and ready for dialogue and negotiations with Russia."
Official statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine
At the same time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine stated that the following position was proved to China: Ukraine will be ready for negotiations with Russia at a certain stage, if the Russian Federation is ready to conduct them honestly. According to Dmytro Kuleba, currently Moscow does not show such readiness.
The Ukrainian side informed China — as a global power — of its important role in resolving the war. Kuleba informed Wang Yi about the results of the Peace Summit in Switzerland and explained the logic of implementing the Ukrainian peace formula as a way to a just end to the war.
- The Ukrainian delegation headed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Kuleba arrived in China for negotiations on July 23. This is the first visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine to China since the beginning of the Great War and the first full-fledged bilateral visit since 2012. As previously reported, the Ukrainian delegation was invited by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Peopleʼs Republic of China Wang Yi. The official visit will last until July 25. The central topic of the meetings and negotiations will be Russiaʼs war against Ukraine and Chinaʼs role in resolving the conflict. The Ukrainian side will obviously encourage China to take decisive action, since it has influence on the Russian Federation.
- Since the beginning of the great war, China has declared its support for the territorial integrity of the Ukrainian state, but does not condemn the invasion and constantly calls for negotiations and peace. At the same time, the PRC sells components for the manufacture of weapons to the Russian Federation and helps to circumvent Western sanctions.
- According to Kuleba, the purpose of his visit will be to "eliminate the competition of peace plans". The Chinese government is promoting its own peace plan, which is supported by Moscow. It does not specify the territorial integrity of Ukraine, but actually proposes to freeze the front line at the positions that will exist at the time of the adoption of the armistice agreement. Beijingʼs plan does not mention Ukraineʼs main demand — the withdrawal of Russian troops from the entire territory, including Crimea.
- China did not participate in the Peace Summit in Switzerland, which disappointed Ukraine. China demanded the presence of Russia at the summit, but this idea was rejected.