China has issued a statement within hours after Putin’s speech calling for “ceasefire through dialogue.”
China has throughout the war defended in various statements Russia’s ‘legitimate’ security concerns about NATO expansion while continuing to tout close, positive ties with Moscow.
But this is perhaps the first time Beijing has so clearly and publicly pushed for a ceasefire after such a key Moscow announcement, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin calling for “a cease-fire through negotiations and solutions that answer all parties’ security concerns,” according to state-run Global Times.
“Every country’s reasonable security concerns should be valued, and all efforts conducive to resolving the crisis peacefully should be supported. China calls for dialogue and consultation to resolve the divergences,” Wang added.