European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel could visit China in the first half of 2023. declared Chinese Ambassador to the EU Fu Cong in an interview with Global Times. As the diplomat clarified, preparations for their visit have already begun.
The Global Times reports that Fu Cong has urged the European Union to “avoid getting too emotional” as it seeks solutions to the conflict in Ukraine. According to him, the situation on the contact line should in no way affect relations between Beijing and Brussels. European countries express “inappropriate emotions” towards China over the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, the Chinese diplomat added.
“People may have desires, but they have to face the truth. Otherwise, this war will drag on,” Fu Cong said.
The Chinese ambassador to the EU assured that Beijing adheres to a “more fair and reasonable position” and does not intend to take sides in the military conflict.
At the end of February, a state visit to China commit President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko. The Belarusian leader will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping.
On plans to visit China too said French leader Emmanuel Macron, according to whom the visit is scheduled for early April. “China should help us pressure Russia to never use chemical or nuclear weapons <…> and stop this aggression as a precondition for negotiations,” he said.
In turn, Xi Jinping may travel to Russia in the spring to meet President Vladimir Putin, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources.
The Chinese peace plan
On the anniversary of the outbreak of hostilities in Ukraine, China presented a plan for resolving the armed conflict, consisting of 12 points. In a document published on February 24, Beijing proposes, among other things, to respect the sovereignty of other states, to abandon the spirit of cold war and the creation of military blocs, as well as a ceasefire and to start negotiations.
In the EU, the United States and Ukraine, the Chinese peace plan has been criticized. In particular, US President Joe Biden called it beneficial only for Russia. At the same time, Ursula von der Leyen criticized Beijing for siding with Moscow in the conflict. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz declared that the Chinese plan lacks a clause on the withdrawal of Russian troops from the territory of Ukraine.
The Russian Foreign Ministry is positive appreciated proposals of the People’s Republic of China on the settlement of the military conflict. The Foreign Ministry noted that Moscow appreciates “the Chinese friends’ sincere desire to contribute to the settlement of the conflict in Ukraine by peaceful means.”
