China calls for ceasefire in Ukraine, urges lifting of sanctions on Russia

China has called for a ceasefire in Ukraine, urging western powers to lift sanctions against Russia and warning Moscow against the use of nuclear weapons. But western leaders cast doubt on China’s bona fides, with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen citing remarks by Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin before the war as evidence of Beijing’s bias.

“You have to see them against a specific backdrop, and that is the backdrop that China has already taken sides by signing, for example, an unlimited friendship right before the invasion,” she said.

“So we will look at the principles, of course, but we will look at them against the backdrop that China has taken sides.”

No upside

A 12-point position paper published by the foreign ministry in Beijing on the first anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine says the conflict can only be resolved through negotiation. It says all parties should encourage Russia and Ukraine to resume direct talks as quickly as possible to de-escalate and ultimately reach a ceasefire.

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“Conflict and war benefit no one. All parties must stay rational and exercise restraint, avoid fanning the flames and aggravating tensions, and prevent the crisis from deteriorating further or even spiraling out of control,” it said.

China has declared itself to be neutral in the war, neither endorsing nor condemning the invasion but the United States and its allies claim that Beijing is backing Moscow. Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg admitted on Friday that there was no evidence that China was supplying weapons to Russia but he thought Beijing might be considering doing so.

Asked about the negative reaction from western leaders to the peace proposal, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Weibin said China had demonstrated its commitment to seeking a negotiated settlement.

“It would be important for the people you mentioned to think about what they have done for the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis instead of making comments that have no factual basis. Who exactly is committed to seeking peace? And who has been creating and escalating the tensions?” he said.

Cold war mentality

Friday’s position paper reaffirms China’s stated commitment to respecting the sovereignty, independence and integrity of all countries “big or small, strong or weak, rich or poor”. But it says that the security of one country must not be pursued at the expense of another, calling for the abandonment of the cold war mentality.

The paper calls for more humanitarian assistance for Ukraine, an exchange of prisoners of war between Kyiv and Moscow and says that nuclear power plants must not be attacked. It warns against the threat of using nuclear weapons as well as their deployment and says chemical and biological weapons must not be developed or used.

China has continued to trade with Russia throughout the war but it has been careful to avoid breaching western sanctions. But the position paper says the western powers’ economic war against Russia is making the conflict worse.

“Unilateral sanctions and maximum pressure cannot solve the issue; they only create new problems. China opposes unilateral sanctions unauthorized by the UN Security Council. Relevant countries should stop abusing unilateral sanctions and “long-arm jurisdiction” against other countries, so as to do their share in de-escalating the Ukraine crisis and create conditions for developing countries to grow their economies and better the lives of their people,” it says.