Int'l community welcomes Xi-Zelensky phone talks, expects China's role amid Ukraine crisis

Dai Bing (C, front), charge d'affaires of China's permanent mission to the United Nations, addresses a high-level Security Council briefing on Ukraine at the UN headquarters in New York, Feb. 24, 2023. (Xinhua/Xie E)

On the Ukraine crisis, China always stands on the side of peace, and its core stance is to facilitate talks for peace, Xi stressed during Wednesday's phone conversation.

BEIJING, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The latest phone talks between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky was widely welcomed in the international community, and many voiced expectations that China will continue to play a constructive role in promoting a peaceful settlement of the Ukraine crisis.

Xi stressed on Wednesday that dialogue and negotiations are the only viable way out for the Ukraine crisis, and no one wins a nuclear war, adding that bilateral ties between the two countries have reached the level of strategic partnership, which has boosted the respective development and revitalization of the two countries.

Following the conversation, Zelensky said on Twitter that he had "a long and meaningful phone call" with Xi, adding that he believes the call and the appointment of Ukraine's ambassador to China "will give a powerful impetus to the development of our bilateral relations."

The United Nations expects China to continue to play a helpful role in resolving the Ukraine crisis, Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, told a press conference on Wednesday.

"We certainly encourage the involvement of all key nations around the world, including, of course, the members of the Security Council, in terms of the contributions they can make toward the resolution of the crisis involving Ukraine and Russia," said Haq. "And certainly, we hope that China will continue to play a helpful role."

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Wednesday that Moscow welcomed the "readiness of the Chinese side to strive to establish a negotiation process," adding that a broad range of provisions outlined within China's Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis, a document China published on Feb. 24, are in line with Moscow's principled approaches.

On the Ukraine crisis, China always stands on the side of peace, and its core stance is to facilitate talks for peace, Xi stressed during Wednesday's phone conversation.

Calling the conversation "positive," the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday that China can play an important role in bringing an end to the Ukraine crisis, adding that France encourages any dialogue that can contribute to the resolution of the crisis.

"We welcome the news that there was a phone call between President Xi and President Zelensky. We think that's a good thing," John Kirby, the U.S. National Security Council's coordinator for strategic communication, told reporters on Wednesday.

Brussels also welcomed the Xi-Zelensky conversation, as it's an important step by China in exercising its responsibilities as a member of the UN Security Council, according to European Commission Chief Spokesperson Eric Mamer on Wednesday.

European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell welcomed the development as well, saying it is very important that China talked with Ukraine, and all parties want peace.