What is China’s strong strategy of targeting fishermen’s profits as an intermediary?
On February 24, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a document titled “China’s Position on the Political Solution to the Crisis in Ukraine,” which contains 12 items, including a ceasefire and the resumption of peace talks (the details of the 12 items will be which will be discussed later).
In a press conference on the same day, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, “China will always take an objective and fair stance on the Ukraine issue, promote peace and dialogue, and play a constructive role in resolving the crisis. I have come,” he said.
Based on this document, Japan will continue to contribute to the political solution of the Ukraine crisis together with the international community.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky took a cautious stance on China’s release of the document on February 24, saying, “Only the warring parties can propose a peace plan.”
He also said he was ready to meet President Xi Jinping.
Zelensky also said that among the 12 items, “there are some items that I do not agree with,” and expressed dissatisfaction that the territorial integrity of Ukraine and the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine were not specified.
Ukraine has already announced a “10-point peace plan” that calls for the complete withdrawal of Russian troops and the return of all territory.
(For more details, please refer to my article, “Early Peace Agreement Necessary for Ukraine: Understanding Unbreakable Ground” (December 2, 2022))
On February 24, US President Joe Biden dismissed the document, saying, “Nobody but Russia will benefit.”
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg holds a press conference in Tallinn, Estonia on February 24.
“China cannot be trusted because it cannot be accused of illegally invading Ukraine,” he said, adding that China, which is said to be pro-Russian, cannot be trusted as a mediator.
On February 24, US Secretary of State Anthony Brinken noted that “China pretends to pursue peace from a neutral standpoint and spreads false narratives about Russia.”
He also mentioned the inclusion of “respect for sovereignty” in the 12 items, and criticized “Russian President Vladimir Putin’s disregard for Ukraine’s sovereignty is the core of the problem.”
Now, the Chinese government has appealed against its positive attitude towards a peaceful resolution, but has not shown how it will act to ensure dialogue and peace.
There is now talk that Xi Jinping is visiting Russia.
Xi Jinping’s planned visit to Russia is currently unconfirmed, but may be in April or early May, close to Victory Day, when Russia defeated Nazi Germany in the Second World War.
According to reports, Xi Jinping may support multilateral peace talks over Russia’s continued aggression in Ukraine and reiterate his opposition to the use of nuclear weapons at the summit.
The author believes that even if China mediates in the peace talks of the Russia-Ukraine war, it will be difficult to achieve a truce or a peace agreement. In that case, I believe that Mr. Xi Jinping’s visit to Russia has been great success.
This article summarizes the relationship between China and Russia and China’s response to the Russia-Ukraine War on the occasion of Mr. Xi Jinping’s visit to Russia.
First, I will discuss statements made by leaders at the China-Russia summit, and then I will discuss China’s response to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and China-Russia relations.
Finally, I will discuss China’s recently announced Global Security Initiative (GSI) and the 12-Point Peace Plan.
