Mehr News – The People’s Republic of China has called for a cease-fire between Russia and Ukraine, releasing a 12-point “peace plan” on the one-year anniversary of the invasion.
China’s position paper calls for an immediate end to violence in Ukraine and a return to dialogues with the aim of ending the conflict through diplomacy.
“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,” the peace plan states, according to media reports. “All parties should support Russia and Ukraine in working in the same direction and resuming direct dialogue as quickly as possible, so as to gradually deescalate the situation and ultimately reach a comprehensive ceasefire.”
China’s plan for peace, outlined in 12 points, consists of the following: Respecting the sovereignty of all countries; Abandoning the Cold War mentality; Ceasing hostilities; Resuming peace talks; Resolving the humanitarian crisis; Protecting civilians and prisoners of war; Keeping nuclear power plants safe; Reducing strategic risks; Facilitating grain exports; Stopping unilateral sanctions; Keeping industrial and supply chains stable; Promoting post-conflict reconstruction.
A key complaint of the position paper is the increasing influence of military blocs across the globe, which China asserts pits nations against each other — China has historically expressed contempt for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
“The security of a country should not be pursued at the expense of others. The security of a region should not be achieved by strengthening or expanding military blocs,” the paper stated. “The legitimate security interests and concerns of all countries must be taken seriously and addressed properly. There is no simple solution to a complex issue.”
“The international community should stay committed to the right approach of promoting talks for peace, help parties to the conflict open the door to a political settlement as soon as possible, and create conditions and platforms for the resumption of negotiation.”
