Beijing: Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday told his US counterpart Joe Biden that the “Ukraine crisis” is not something “we want to see” and called for joint US-China cooperation to shoulder “international responsibilities” for world peace and tranquility.
“The prevailing trend of peace and development is facing serious challenges. The world is neither tranquil nor stable. The Ukraine crisis is not something we want to see. The events again show that countries should not come to the point of meeting on the battlefield,” Xi told Biden during a video summit, amid US criticism that China is not condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine considering close ties between Beijing and Moscow.
“Conflict and confrontation are not in anyone’s interest, and peace and security are what the international community should treasure the most,” Xi was quoted as saying by the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
He also called for bringing the China-US ties which were under turmoil over a host of issues, including Taiwan, Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Tibet on to the “right track”.
“As permanent members of the UN Security Council and the world’s two leading economies, we must not only guide the China-US relations forward along the right track,” he said.
Significantly he also said both the countries should “also shoulder our share of international responsibilities and work for world peace and tranquility”.
It is not clear whether he is calling for a joint initiative to end the Ukraine crisis as there was no clarification on his comment.
The video summit took place after a meeting between China’s top diplomat Yang Jiechi and the US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in Rome on Monday.
Ever since Russia began military operations in Ukraine on February 24, China, a close ally of Moscow, has been treading a fine line, declining to condemn it as an invasion.
On March 7, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, in his annual press conference, said that the China-Russia relationship is grounded in a clear logic of history and driven by strong internal dynamics, and the friendship between the Chinese and Russian peoples is rock-solid.
“No matter how precarious and challenging the international situation may be, China and Russia will maintain strategic focus and steadily advance our comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era,” he added.
PTI