China clears air on Beijing's neutral stand on Russia-Ukraine war; 'Don't want crisis'

Making China's stand in the Russia-Ukraine war clear for the first time, China's Embassy in the United Kingdom on Monday, March 21, stated that Beijing is rooting for peace and dialogues amid the Russia-Ukraine war and added that the 'Cold War mentality' should be abolished.

Amid the devastation caused by Russia's military aggression in Ukraine, the international community has been compelled to take sides or voice support for dialogue between the two neighbouring countries. Since the war on Ukraine began on February 24, the international community has not refrained from calling out complacency and dubious stand on the part of Russia, while coming forth in support of Kyiv and against the Kremlin-led military offensives.

While some countries, quintessentially the West, outrightly slammed Russian President Vladimir Putin for the full-fledged war on Ukraine, others have pressed that both sides indulge in dialogues and peace talks. China, on the other hand, has repeatedly maintained a neutral stand in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis and justified its take by repeatedly stating that Beijing does not interfere in the internal affairs of others, as per their foreign policy. Thus, with no word of condemnation for the Russia-led attacks or invasion, China merely expressed 'regret' about Putin's military action in and around Kyiv. 

In the latest development, the Chinese Embassy in the United Kingdom commented on Britain's remarks on Beijing in relation to the Ukraine invasion. During an interview, the Embassy's spokesperson retaliated to the much-speculated Beijing's approach which is merely "sitting on the fence" regarding Ukraine, and that UK PM Boris Johnson warned Xi Jinping that "backing Russia was like picking the wrong side of history in the Second World War, a battle between good and evil".

'China does not want to see crisis in Ukraine'

Speaking to reporters, the spokesperson said, "China does not want to see the crisis in Ukraine. China's position has always been that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be respected, the principles and purposes of the UN Charter should be observed, the legitimate security concerns of all countries should be taken into serious consideration, and international disputes should be settled peacefully."

"China's principled position on the Ukraine issue has been objective, fair, transparent and consistent. The UK side must not misinterpret or distort it," they added. 

'Reject Cold War mentality': China

Additionally, the Chinese administration stated that the pressing priority at the moment is that 'all sides jointly support the parties involved to have dialogue and negotiation that will produce results and lead to peace'.

"It is critical to cease hostilities as soon as possible, prevent the situation from worsening, and in particular, avoid more civilian casualties," they further said. 

Urging both sides to refrain from bloc confrontation, the Chinese official said it was imperative that relevant sides reject the Cold War mentality, in order to achieve 'long-term stability in the European continent'.

'China working with all sides to push for peace talks'

While snubbing all rumours pertaining to Beijing's neutral and cold approach to the war, the official stated that China has been working with all sides to push for peace talks. 

"We have also put forward a six-point initiative on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine and provided several batches of humanitarian aid to the country," the Chinese diplomat said while stating that the US and NATO should hold dialogues with Russia with an objective to address the crux of the Ukraine crisis. 

"We support all efforts that are conducive to a peaceful solution to the crisis," they reiterated. 

Also, the Chinese Embassy in the UK mentioned that Beijing opposes any form of unsolicited provocation and the practice of fuelling the fire or instigating conflicts. 

"We will never accept any external coercion or pressure, and we will oppose any groundless accusation against China. China always stands on the side of justice and peace, and on the right side of history," the spokesperson added.