The comments came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia and China of trying to undermine the Swiss peace summit.
China said it believes “all efforts” should be recognized in supporting peace measures surrounding the Russia-Ukraine war, rejecting accusations by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that he was trying with Russia to undermine the peace summit planned for this month in Switzerland.
China has never “stoked the fire or fed the flames”, Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning said on Monday, after being asked about the peace summit scheduled for June 15-16 .
Mao said China’s position at the peace conference was “open and transparent.”
“We believe we can gain understanding and support from all parties,” he added.
More than 80 delegations have confirmed they will take part in the summit in Burgenstock, which Switzerland hopes will lay the foundations for a peace process, more than four years after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Speaking in Singapore on Sunday, Zelenskyy said China and Russia were pressuring other countries and their leaders not to participate in upcoming talks. He didn’t say which ones.
“Russia, using Chinese influence in the region, also using Chinese diplomats, does everything to disrupt the peace summit,” he said at a press conference at the Shangri-La Dialogue, a closely watched security forum.
China remains neutral in the war, although it has deepened ties with Moscow since the invasion. Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Beijing last month, where he enjoyed a ceremonial reception and sipped tea with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Its trade with Russia has grown, alleviating the economic impact of Western-led sanctions. U.S., Ukrainian and other intelligence agencies say there is evidence that Chinese parts are ending up in Russian weapons, even if China is not directly arming its neighbor.
The Swiss had hoped that China would participate in the peace conference, but Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi made it clear last week that Beijing would not participate.
Beijing has called for a peace conference with “equal participation” from all parties, including Russia, which was not invited.
Ukraine’s peace plan calls for the complete withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrainian territory, the restoration of its 1991 post-Soviet borders and holding Russia accountable for its actions.
China also released a peace plan that Putin last month said showed Beijing understood the “root causes” and “global geopolitical significance” of the conflict. The 12-point plan received a lukewarm reception when it was first released a year after the Russian invasion, with analysts noting a lack of concrete proposals.
“There is still a clear gap between preparations for the meeting and the demands of the Chinese side as well as the general expectations of the international community,” Mao said. “This makes it difficult for China to participate in the meeting.”
This story originally appeared on Aljazeera.com read the full story
