Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi hosted Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on July 23 in the southern city of Guangzhou. During their discussions, which were very cordial, Kuleba said that Ukraine is willing to engage in dialogue and negotiations with Russia, and that such negotiations should be rational and substantive, aimed at achieving a just and lasting peace, according to the statement by Mao Ning at her Foreign Ministry press conference today. Kuleba said that Ukraine had “carefully studied” the “six-point consensus” reached by China and Brazil in May on the political solution to the Ukrainian crisis.
Whatever this may mean, Ukraine is keen on keeping China “close.” Kuleba reiterated support for China on the Taiwan issue and said it would continue to adhere to the one-China principle. He also expressed appreciation for the “positive and constructive role” played by China in promoting peace and maintaining international order. China provides both grain—the largest provider to Ukraine—and humanitarian aid to Ukraine and would be instrumental when the time comes to rebuild Ukraine’s war-torn economy.
Wang Yi described that China and Ukraine established a strategic partnership more than a decade ago and Ukraine was one of the first countries to support and participate in the joint construction of the “Belt and Road Initiative.” We must proceed on the basis of mutual respect and advancing beneficial cooperation, Wang said. The two countries have to view the relationship from a long-term perspective and promote the healthy and stable development of China-Ukraine relations, Wang said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in a video posted yesterday to his Telegram account, reported that he had told visiting Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state: “I think all of us understand that we have to finish the war, as soon as possible of course, not to lose people’s lives,” according to ThePaper.
