Wu Hongbo The challenges facing the North and the South, the East and the West, can be boiled down to two major issues — peace and development. Without peace, there will be no sustainable development; without development, peace will not last. As peace and development are inseparable, they should be handled together.
In terms of peace, conflicts have been increasing in number over the last decade. Ukraine and Gaza are still bleeding. A huge number of infrastructure and facilities have been destroyed.
People are suffering. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the world is not sleepwalking into a wider war; it is doing so with eyes open. This brings me to the issue of Ukraine, the top topic for Europe.
Since the very beginning, China has made its stance clear on the issue of Ukraine. First, the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be respected. Second, the purposes and principles of the UN Charter should be observed.
Third, the legitimate security concerns of all countries should be taken into account. Fourth, all efforts conducive to peaceful settlement of the crisis should be supported. China is not adding fuel to the fire.
Nor does China encourage either side to fight with more firepower. China has normal trade relations with both Russia and Ukraine. China is still Ukraine’s largest trading partner.
The two countries have stayed in touch with each other. In early June, China and Ukraine held consultations at the vice-foreign minister level. .