China committed to political settlement of Ukraine crisis

China and Ukraine on Wednesday expressed their hopes to address the Ukraine crisis through talks, while pledging to further consolidate mutual trust and pragmatic cooperation, as their foreign ministers met in Guangzhou, Guangdong province.

The meeting was held on the second day of Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba's four-day visit to China, which is also his first visit to China since he took office in 2020.

China is always firmly committed to a political settlement of the Ukraine crisis, which has entered its third year and still risks escalation and spillover, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said.

Noting that both Ukraine and Russia have shown willingness for negotiations, Wang said that though the conditions and timing are not yet mature, China supports all efforts conducive to peace, and hopes to continue to play a constructive role in promoting a ceasefire and resuming peace talks.

Kuleba said Ukraine highly appreciates China's active and constructive role in promoting peace and maintaining the international order.

Ukraine values China's opinions, and has carefully studied the six common understandings jointly proposed by China and Brazil.

Ukraine is willing and ready to have talks with Russia, Kuleba said, adding that the talks should be rational, substantive and aimed at achieving a just and lasting peace.

China has always held a position for a peaceful resolution of the Ukraine crisis, saying that a political settlement is the only way out.

In May, China and Brazil issued six common understandings on the political settlement of the crisis, which has garnered a positive response from over 100 countries.

In the document, they called for avoiding the expansion and escalation of the crisis, as well as provocation by any party, and urged all parties to create conditions for resuming a direct dialogue.

Chen Yurong, a researcher of Eurasian studies at the China Institute of International Studies, said Kuleba's trip to China shows Ukraine's recognition of China's fair and just position, as well as its consistent efforts to address the Ukraine crisis.

Since last year, China has sent its special representative on Eurasian affairs to conduct three rounds of shuttle diplomacy in an effort to resolve the crisis.

As a major country, China has been working for global and regional peace, which was demonstrated by its recent facilitation of reconciliation talks between 14 Palestinian factions, Chen said, adding that Ukraine values the instrumental role China plays in efforts to resolve the Ukraine crisis.

During Wednesday's talks, Wang and Kuleba also called for the further enhancement of bilateral ties.

China and Ukraine, which established a strategic partnership in 2011, are friendly to each other, respect and treat each other equally, and have kept promoting mutually beneficial cooperation, Wang said.

Both countries should maintain communications and exchanges and carry on their traditional friendship, Wang said, adding that China will continue to expand food imports from Ukraine, and work with it to maintain smooth logistics corridors and international food security.

Kuleba said Ukraine supports China's position over the Taiwan question, and will continue to adhere to the one-China policy. Ukraine hopes to stimulate cooperation with China in various fields, including trade and agriculture, Kuleba added.

China is the largest trade partner of Ukraine, which was among the first countries to have supported and participated in Belt and Road cooperation.

In the first half of this year, bilateral trade increased by 17.4 percent to about $4.5 billion, statistics from the General Administration of Customs showed.

wangqingyun@chinadaily.com.cn