Switzerland hopes for broad international participation at the mid-June summit to kickstart a peace process in Ukraine. However, Moscow, which was not invited, has labeled the talks as ‘meaningless’ without its participation.
“The arrangements for the meeting still fall far short of China’s requests and the general expectations of the international community, making it difficult for China to participate,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a routine briefing.
“China has always insisted that an international peace conference should be endorsed by both Russia and Ukraine, with the equal participation of all parties, and that all peace proposals should be discussed in a fair and equal manner. Otherwise, it will be difficult for China to play a substantive role in restoring peace.”
China’s conditions included the recognition of the conference by both Russia and Ukraine, equal participation from all parties, and a fair discussion of all proposals.
“We are very sorry that the Chinese side does not use the opportunity to present its position on the platform of the Summit in Switzerland,” a spokesperson for the Ukrainian embassy in Beijing said in a statement to Reuters.
During a visit to China this month, Vladimir Putin suggested that Ukraine might use the Swiss talks to rally a broader coalition of countries in support of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s demand for a complete Russian withdrawal.
China’s peace plan
Over a year ago, Beijing proposed a 12-point document outlining general principles for ending the war without providing specific details. Recently, China and Brazil issued a joint statement advocating for Russia-Ukraine peace talks.
In January, Ukraine invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to join a planned summit of world leaders in Switzerland. This week, Zelenskyy urged U.S. President Joe Biden to attend, although Washington has yet to confirm its representation.
China’s special envoy for Eurasian affairs, Li Hui, has engaged in three rounds of shuttle diplomacy between various European and Middle Eastern countries, Ukraine, and Russia since the invasion began.
In the latest round of diplomacy this month, Beijing proposed measures such as supporting the exchange of prisoners of war, opposing the use of nuclear and biological weapons, and opposing attacks on civilian nuclear facilities, according to a Chinese foreign ministry readout.
However, several European leaders and the United States have consistently urged China to do more to limit exports of dual-use items and critical components that bolster Russia’s industrial defense base. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has described this as “the biggest threat to European security since the end of the Cold War.”
