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China to set out its position on settling Ukraine crisis, top diplomat says

Chinese top diplomat Wang Yi said that the country believes there are "some forces" that do not want Ukraine-Russia peace talks to succeed, adding the country will issue its own position on the crisis.

Agencies and A News WORLD
Published February 18,2023
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China will issue its own position on a political settlement to the crisis, China's top diplomat, Wang Yi, said on Saturday at the Munich Security Conference.

He also said that the country believes there are "some forces" that do not want Ukraine-Russia peace talks to succeed.

To maintain peace across the Taiwan Strait, Taiwanese independence forces must be resolutely opposed, Wang also said.

Wang is director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee.

'Sanctions not solution'

Pressure or sanctions did not resolve problems between countries, Wang said, and called for peaceful conflict resolution through dialogue and consultations, however harsh the tensions: "Peace should be given a chance after all."

The Ukraine conflict, which began with a Russian invasion on February 24 last year, is a central topic at the global security event running from Friday to Sunday in the German city.

Wang's presence at the conference marks the first time a senior Chinese government official has attended the Munich meeting since the start of the pandemic.

He is the chairman of the Chinese Communist Party's commission on foreign policy, a post that ranks above foreign minister in China's power hierarchy.

China has not condemned Russia's attack on Ukraine. Beijing has instead portrayed the US and NATO as responsible for the war.

As Beijing and Moscow become increasingly isolated from the West, observers have been watching for clues as to the relationship between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, especially in the wake of Moscow's military setbacks in Ukraine.