Chinese envoy urges U.S. to make real efforts to promote peace talks on Ukraine issue

A UN Security Council briefing on arms supply to Ukraine is held at the UN headquarters in New York, on Aug. 30, 2024. Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, on Friday urged the United States to "make real efforts to promote peace talks and ease the crisis" on the Ukraine issue. "On the Ukraine issue, instead of high-sounding rhetoric, the United States should make real efforts to promote peace talks and ease the crisis," Geng said at the briefing. (Eskinder Debebe/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua)

UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, on Friday urged the United States to "make real efforts to promote peace talks and ease the crisis" on the Ukraine issue.

"On the Ukraine issue, instead of high-sounding rhetoric, the United States should make real efforts to promote peace talks and ease the crisis," Geng said at a UN Security Council briefing on arms supply to Ukraine, in response to remarks by the U.S. representative.

Noting that the statement made by the U.S. representative "is something we have heard many times before with nothing new in it," the ambassador called on the U.S. side "to stop the boring game of finger-pointing in this chamber."

Geng said the most urgent task for the international community right now is to promote a ceasefire to stop the war and realize peace, and "China has been speaking out for peace and calling for all efforts to this end."

"However, the U.S. has not only turned a blind eye and deaf ear to China's efforts to promote peace, but continued to spread lies in the Security Council and smear China on the issue of Ukraine, which China firmly opposes and absolutely will not accept," Geng said.

If the United States "truly wants to put an end to the war, it should make efforts together with the countries concerned, including China, instead of shirking its responsibilities and creating confrontations," the envoy stressed.

As the crisis in Ukraine continues unabated, large quantities of weapons and ammunition are flowing into the battlefield in more variety and scope with greater lethality and destruction power, leading to growing risks of loss and proliferation of weapons, he said, adding that "such a situation is deeply worrying."

Geng warned that increased weapon supplies to the battlefield will only cause more harm and will not bring sustaining peace, and continued advocation of bloc confrontations will only further exacerbate the crisis and make the road to peace even rockier.

"China believes that the important thing to do now is to adhere to the three principles of no expansion of the battlefield, no escalation of the fighting, and no provocation by any party, so as to deescalate the situation as soon as possible," he said.

He called on the parties to the conflict "to demonstrate their political will, meet each other halfway, reach a ceasefire and end to fighting, and start peace talks at an early date."

The ambassador called on the international community to create favorable conditions and provide practical assistance, and all parties concerned to give priority to peace and humanitarian concerns by devoting their resources and energy to diplomatic efforts for a ceasefire and end to the fighting.

He reiterated China's position on the Ukraine issue -- to promote peace talks and political settlement, and said China "will continue to uphold an objective and impartial position, maintain close communication with all parties, promote broader consensus in the international community, and make unremitting efforts for an early political settlement of the Ukraine crisis."

Responding to remarks by the U.S. representative, Geng said, "China did not create the Ukraine crisis, nor is it a party to it. China has not provided weapons to any party to the conflict, and China has always strictly controlled our dual-use items."

He underscored that Chinese enterprises carry out their normal economic and trade cooperation with countries around the world, including Russia and Ukraine, in accordance with the rules of the World Trade Organization and market principles. "They are reasonable, legitimate, and beyond reproach."

"As a matter of fact, the United States also maintains trade and economic relations with Russia," he said.