China hopes that all parties involved in the “Ukrainian crisis” will continue working toward a fair and binding peace agreement, ultimately reaching a political resolution to the conflict.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said this at a briefing on Monday when asked by an Ukrinform correspondent about last Friday’s negotiations in Istanbul and Russia’s confrontational behavior — marked by ultimatums, threats of endless war, and intentions to seize more Ukrainian territory.
“I’m not familiar with the specific details of what you’re referring to,” Mao said when asked about the undiplomatic conduct of Russian representatives in Istanbul.
Nevertheless, she stressed that China’s position on the “Ukrainian crisis” (as the Chinese government refers to Russia’s war against Ukraine) remains consistent and clear.
“We hope that all relevant parties will continue to work toward a fair, lasting, and binding peace agreement through dialogue and negotiations, which will ultimately lead to a political settlement of the conflict,” the spokesperson said.
China does not clarify what it considers a “fair peace agreement,” and its interpretation does not align with that of Ukraine and its international partners. For them, justice entails the restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty within its internationally recognized 1991 borders, the prosecution of Russian war criminals, and reparations from Russia for the destruction and damages caused.
Notably, in the most recent Chinese-Brazilian document outlining a vision for ending the war — called a “six-point consensus,” published in May last year — there was no mention of respecting Ukraine’s territorial integrity. This contrasts with China’s earlier “12-point peace plan” from February 2023, which explicitly emphasized territorial sovereignty and compliance with the UN Charter in its first point.
Ukraine’s First Deputy Foreign Minister Sergiy Kyslytsya, who took part in the May 16 negotiations with Russian representatives in Istanbul, said that the head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, issued direct threats to the Ukrainian side.
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Source: Chinese Foreign Ministry on Istanbul talks: We hope for fair peace agreement
