Sébastien Le Belzic 06:21, March 08, 2022, modified at 06:24, March 08, 2022
China says it is ready to mediate in the war in Ukraine, or at least to support peace negotiations.
This was stated Monday by the head of Chinese diplomacy.
In the background, Beijing reaffirms its friendship with Russia, despite pressure from Western countries.
China says it is ready to participate in international mediation in the war in Ukraine.
An initiative supported by the head of European diplomacy and by the Ukrainian government.
The voices are becoming more and more numerous and urgent to call on Beijing to come out of the woods.
But China is blowing hot and cold, and after calling for respect for Ukrainian borders last week, Beijing is loud and clear about its friendship with Russia.
>> Find the morning of the day in replay and podcast here
"The friendship between the two peoples is solid as a rock"
To show its friendship to Russia, China uses very strong words, as did Wang Yi, the Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs during his annual press conference Monday in Beijing.
"The development of China-Russia relations has a clear historical logic. The friendship between the two peoples is rock-solid, and the prospects for future cooperation between the two sides are very broad. No matter how serious the international situation , China and Russia will maintain their strategic orientation," he said.
A statement in line with the manifesto signed here by Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping last month.
Beijing still does not officially condemn Moscow and even thumbs its nose at international sanctions by buying ever more Russian gas and oil, and via its UnionPay payment system which should replace Visa and MasterCard, which are ceasing their operations in Russia.