CHEN XIAODONG
FROM March 20 to 22, Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a successful state visit to Russia, demonstrating China’s steadfast commitment to an independent foreign policy of peace and promoting global peace with a broad vision.
President Xi’s visit is a significant event in global geopolitics, showcasing China’s international image as a “builder of peace” and highlighting its role and great sense of responsibility as a major country.
The visit comes at a time when the Ukraine crisis continues to escalate and spillover effects continue to emerge. Many countries have expressed concern and called for the easing of tension. More countries are speaking out for peace and reason, appealing for an early ceasefire, with expectations for China to play a greater role.
Since the outbreak of the Ukraine crisis, China has been actively promoting peace talks in an objective and just manner. “China’s Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis”, a document recently released by China, accommodates the legitimate concerns of all parties and has been well received by the international community.
The Ukrainian side has also spoken highly of China’s efforts to push for a ceasefire, saying that it attaches importance to friendly relations with China and hopes to maintain communication with China.
During the visit, President Xi Jinping had candid and in-depth exchanges with President Vladimir Putin on the Ukraine crisis. President Xi pointed out that historically, conflicts had always needed to be resolved through dialogue and negotiation.
The more difficulties there were, the greater the need to keep space for peace. The more acute the problem was, the more important it was not to give up efforts for dialogue. As long as all parties embraced the vision of common, comprehensive, co-operative and sustainable security, and pursue equal-footed, rational and results-oriented dialogue and consultation, they would find a reasonable way to resolve the crisis.
The Russian highly appreciated China’s objective, fair and balanced stance, stating that Russia has carefully studied China’s position paper and is open to negotiations, welcoming China to play a constructive role in this regard.
The joint statement signed by the two heads of state after the talks once again stressed that the purposes and principles of the UN Charter must be observed and international law must be respected. The Russian side reiterated its commitment to restarting peace talks as soon as possible and welcomed China’s willingness to play an active role in resolving the Ukrainian crisis through political and diplomatic means.
China is neither the creator of the Ukraine crisis nor a party to the crisis, but rather an advocate of political resolution and a promoter of peace talks. Certain countries are obstructing negotiation efforts out of their selfish geopolitical interests. They are even cooking up rumours and falsehoods to attack and discredit China. But people have fair judgement. The world can clearly see who is inciting violence and who is advocating peace talks. China’s stance is clear and consistent: choosing peace over war, dialogue over sanctions, and cooling things down over fanning the flames.
China has no political interests and does not engage in geopolitical manipulation. China sincerely and wholeheartedly promotes peace talks, pushes for a ceasefire, and meets the interests and expectations of most countries in the world, including Russia and Ukraine.
Second, uphold international fairness and justice, and inject stability into the international situation. Changes unseen in a century are fast evolving, and a significant shift is taking place in the international balance of power. The historical trend of peace, development, co-operation and a win-win situation is unstoppable, while hegemonism, unilateralism and protectionism are rampant, cold war mentality and bloc politics are on the rise, the tug of war between two trends and two paths is getting more intense, and the world is entering a new period of turbulent changes. Relations between China and Russia, two major world powers and permanent members of the UN Security Council, is closely related to global strategic stability and security, as well as global dynamics in the future.
During the visit, President Xi Jinping and President Putin respectively issued signed articles, referring to China-Russia strategic co-operation as the “bulwark” for maintaining international peace and security. During the visit, the two leaders had long and in-depth strategic discussions on major international issues. They agreed that all countries should uphold the common values of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy and freedom for all humanity, engage in dialogue rather than confrontation, promote inclusiveness rather than exclusiveness, live in harmony and achieve win-win co-operation to promote world peace and development.
Both sides agree to view China-Russia relations with a broad vision and a long-term perspective, firmly uphold the international system with the UN as its core, the international order based on international law, and the basic norms of international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, adhere to true multilateralism, and promote a multipolar world and greater democracy in international relations.
Third, promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind and chart the right course for historical development. Ten years ago, President Xi Jinping first proposed the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind in his speech at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations.
President Xi has since proposed a series of initiatives, such as the Belt and Road Initiative, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative, enriching the concept of community with a shared future for mankind and providing China’s response to the changes of the world, of our times, and of the historic trajectory.
Over the past decade, this concept has been echoed and supported by more and more countries. The evolution of the international situation has proved time and again that only by sharing a common destiny and working together can countries solve the global challenges facing humanity. The principal contradiction in today’s world is not at all a so-called “democracy versus autocracy” played up by a handful of countries, but a struggle between development and containment of development, and between global justice and power politics.
China and Russia are committed to promoting a multipolar world and greater democracy in international relations. This is necessary to uphold international fairness and justice, and is part of the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. It represents the right direction of the progress of the times and historical development, and is of global significance beyond the scope of bilateral relations. China-Russia relations have set a good example of a new model of major-country relations by adhering to the principles of non-alignment, non-confrontation and not targeting any third party, as well as mutual respect and trust. China-Russia relations are open and candid, in stark contrast to exclusive and selfish group politics.
Under the new circumstances, China and Russia are committed to advancing the comprehensive strategic partnership of co-ordination, which will not only benefit the two peoples, but also make new contributions to the progress of mankind.
Chen is the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to South Africa