In a telephonic conversation with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on Thursday, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said that his country acknowledges Moscow’s “security concerns'' vis-à-vis Ukraine.
Explaining Russia’s military offensive, FM Lavrov briefed the Chinese FM regarding the current situation in Ukraine, explaining that the US and NATO did not tend to Russian security sensitivities in easter Europe.
“Lavrov introduced the evolution of the current situation in Ukraine and Russia's position, saying that the United States and NATO broke their commitments, continued to expand eastward, refused to implement the Minsk-2 agreement, and violated UN Security Council Resolution 2202, and Russia was forced to take necessary measures to safeguard its rights and interests,” a press release of the conversation read.
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The Chinese FM understood Russia’s stance and said that security imperatives in Europe must be resolved through diplomatic dialogue. He said that the Ukrainian crisis is rooted in the region's complex history which is intertwined with Russian security concerns.
“Wang Yi said, China always respects all countries' sovereignty and territorial integrity. At the same time, we also see a complex and unique historical context on the Ukraine issue, and understand Russia's legitimate concerns on security issues. China holds that the Cold War mentality should be completely abandoned, and a balanced, effective and sustained European security mechanism should be finally formed through dialogue and negotiation,” the statement read further.
Earlier on Thursday, China urged both sides to de-escalate and engage diplomatically to sort out key security issues concerning both sides.
“I would like to stress once again China’s consistent position. We should pursue common, cooperative and sustainable security for all countries. The legitimate security concerns of all sides should be respected and resolved. We hope all sides will keep the door to peace open and continue to work for deescalation through dialogue, consultation and negotiation and prevent further escalation,” Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying said in a regular press.
China stressed on its unique diplomatic partnership with Russia which is based on respect for each other’s political sensitivities and is non-confrontative in nature.
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“I must also stress that China-Russia relations are based on the foundation of non-alliance, non-confrontation and non-targeting of any third party. This differs fundamentally and essentially from the practice of the US, which is, ganging up to form small cliques and pursuing bloc politics to create confrontation and division based on ideology,” she further said.
