Chen Xiaodong
It has been one year since the full-scale escalation of the crisis in Ukraine, with the conflict showing a trend towards protracted and expanding severity. Countless people have suffered greatly, and the spillover effects have been increasingly pronounced, making the situation deeply concerning.
Over the past year, China has maintained an objective and impartial stance, actively promoting peace talks and negotiations. President Xi Jinping has put forward four principles; called for joint efforts in four areas and shared three observations on Ukraine, which have pointed the way towards easing tensions and resolving the crisis.
Recently, China released a document titled, “China’s Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis”, which elaborates on China’s propositions, incorporates the legitimate concerns of various countries, and proposes a solution to the crisis in 12 aspects, providing Chinese wisdom to properly resolve the Ukraine crisis and maintain world peace and stability.
Adherence to the international rule of law.
The root cause of the war is the lack of genuine compliance with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. The position paper clearly emphasises that the crisis in Ukraine should be handled in accordance with universally recognised international law, including the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and that the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of all countries should be effectively guaranteed.
All parties should give up the “petty reasoning” of prioritising their own interests and submit to the “major reasoning” of complying with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. China firmly advocates upholding international law and the universally recognised basic norms of international relations, insisting on acting in accordance with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, taking an objective and impartial stance based on the merits of the issue, and actively exploring effective ways of political settlement of the crisis.
Uphold common security.
The position paper clearly states that the security of one country cannot be achieved at the expense of the security of other countries. Security is the right of all countries in the world, not a privilege enjoyed by certain countries alone.
Blind faith in the so-called “position of strength” and attempts to expand military alliances and seek one’s own security at the expense of others will only land oneself in a security dilemma. The key to the ultimate resolution of the Ukrainian crisis is to abandon the Cold War mentality, uphold a vision of common, comprehensive, co-operative, and sustainable security, respect the legitimate security concerns of all countries, properly address the legitimate security demands of all parties, and promote the construction of a balanced, effective, and sustainable European security architecture.
The position paper is in line with the Global Security Initiative Concept Paper which China released on February 21, providing feasible measures to release pressure and resolve security dilemmas, reflecting China’s role as a responsible major country in contributing to global security.
Uphold the principle of seeking peace through dialogue.
President Xi Jinping has made it clear that there are no winners in conflicts or wars, and there are no simple solutions to complex issues. Dialogue and negotiation are the fundamental ways to achieve a ceasefire and restore peace. The core of China’s consistent position is to promote peace through dialogue.
We support Russia and Ukraine in moving towards each other, resuming direct dialogue as soon as possible, and incorporating reasonable concerns into the negotiations, providing an opportunity to emerge from the crisis and rebuild peace.
The international community should urge and promote dialogue with the utmost urgency, create favourable conditions and environment for restarting negotiations, open up space for political negotiation, gradually ease and de-escalate tensions, and ultimately achieve a comprehensive ceasefire.
Major powers should uphold a fair stance, cool down the crisis, rather than fanning the flames, pouring oil on the fire and taking advantage of the situation for profit. They should stand firm as an anchor of peace instead of fanning the flame of the conflict.
Uphold the red line of nuclear safety and security.
Currently, nuclear risks are at their highest point since the Cold War. The position paper reiterates that “a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought”.
Faced with the risk of conflict escalation posed by the Ukraine crisis, major countries bear a special and important responsibility to maintain communication and co-ordination, and prevent nuclear crises from occurring. The international community should jointly oppose armed attacks on peaceful nuclear facilities such as nuclear power plants, oppose the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons, prevent nuclear proliferation, ensure the strict observance of the Nuclear Safety Convention and other relevant international agreements, and support the International Atomic Energy Agency to play a constructive role in promoting the safety and security of peaceful nuclear facilities.
Uphold the bottom line of humanity.
Every moment of relentless warfare adds to the suffering of the people. At the outbreak of the crisis, China proposed the “six-point initiative” to prevent a large-scale humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. Amid ongoing armed conflicts, humanitarian issues should be given top priority.
Relevant parties should strictly adhere to international humanitarian law, avoid attacking civilians and civilian facilities, protect conflict victims such as women and children, and respect the basic rights of prisoners of war. The international community should increase humanitarian assistance, help restore civilian infrastructure, ensure the basic living needs of refugees and the displaced, prevent larger-scale humanitarian crises, and support post-conflict reconstruction in conflict-affected areas.
All parties concerned should embody the spirit of humanity, manage the spillover effects of the crisis in a responsible manner, jointly ensure the stable operation of the global food and energy market, refrain from imposing unilateral sanctions and “long-arm jurisdiction”, and prevent artificial blockages of supply chains and industrial chains so that the world, especially developing countries, do not bear heavy costs.
On the road to peace, China has always been walking hand in hand with responsible countries including South Africa. When it comes to the Ukrainian crisis, China and South Africa share similar positions and have always maintained communication and co-ordination.
We have jointly supported the peace talks between Russia and Ukraine to promote a political solution, and add positive energy to world peace and security.
The road to peace will not be a smooth one. The more complex the situation, the more critical that we do not give up the effort to strive for peace. China has always stood and will continue to stand on the side of peace, on the side of dialogue, and on the side of historical correctness.
We are ready to work with all parties to promote a political solution to the crisis in Ukraine, strive for the early arrival of peace, and to make unremitting efforts to achieve long-term peace and security in the world.
Chen Xiaodong is ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to South Africa