Respect for sovereignty, call for dialogue, rejection of the use of nuclear weapons: China unveiled, on Friday February 24, a document reaffirming its position on the invasion of Ukraine, launched a year ago.

Organized into 12 points, the document presents Beijing as a neutral actor calling on the two parties to start peace talks.

Here are the main points of the document entitled "China's position on the political settlement of the Ukrainian crisis".

  • Respect for sovereignty

First point: "The sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of all countries must be effectively defended."

China has always refused to state clearly that Russia was at fault in the specific case of the conflict in Ukraine, triggered by the invasion of Russian forces on Ukrainian territory.

On CNN, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan reacted by saying that the document "could have stopped at the first point", because "the war could end tomorrow if Russia stopped attacking Ukraine and withdraw its forces".

  • Call for dialogue

Beijing calls on Russia and Ukraine to hold peace talks, stressing that "dialogue and negotiation are the only viable solution".

"The international community should remain committed to the right approach of promoting peace talks, helping the parties (involved in) this conflict to open the door to a political settlement as soon as possible, and creating the conditions and platforms necessary for the resumption negotiations," China said.

  • No use of nuclear weapons

The document opposes any recourse to nuclear weapons: "We must prevent nuclear proliferation and a nuclear crisis."

This position comes after the declarations, on February 21, of Russian President Vladimir Putin who announced the suspension of the New Start treaty, the last bilateral agreement of its kind binding Russians and Americans and aimed at limiting their nuclear arsenals.

China "opposes the research, development and use of chemical and biological weapons by any country and under any circumstances," she said.

Both sides "must strictly comply with international humanitarian law, avoid attacking civilians or civilian buildings", she adds.

  • No to the "Cold War mentality"

We must "abandon the Cold War mentality", insists Beijing, an argument regularly used by Chinese diplomacy.

In a veiled criticism of NATO, the document asserts that "the security of a region should not be achieved by strengthening or expanding military blocs", and that "the legitimate interests and concerns of all countries in terms of safety must be taken seriously".

The Chinese Foreign Ministry has often blamed Washington and its allies in recent months for supplying arms and equipment to Ukraine.

China also criticizes the unilateral sanctions imposed on Moscow: they "cannot solve the problem, only create new problems".

  • Limit the economic impact

Beijing also calls for protecting the global economy from the impact of the conflict in Ukraine, in particular by preserving the Black Sea Grain Initiative, an agreement allowing the export of Ukrainian grain despite the situation.

Another priority, according to China: "Maintaining the stability of industrial and supply chains", and for this all parties involved must "oppose the use of the global economy as a tool or weapon for political purposes". .

With AFP

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