China rebuffs Russian demarche on Donbas

  GUANGZHOU, China – China rejected a Russian bid to get Beijing to endorse Moscow's claim to the Ukrainian region of the Donbas, as Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun reiterated Beijing’s “consistent and clear” position on the war. 

  “China’s position on the Ukraine issue is consistent and clear,” Guo said at a press conference in Beijing on Monday. He also declined to comment directly on the Kremlin’s rejection of proposed trilateral talks between the U.S., Ukraine, and Russia.

 China’s position on the Ukraine-Russia war was reiterated following statements by Russian presidential aide, Yuri Ushakov, that US-Ukraine-Russia trilateral talks are impractical unless Kyiv withdraws its troops from the Donbas. “Kyiv needs to take only one serious step, after which, firstly, hostilities will be suspended, and secondly, prospects will open up for a serious discussion of the prospects for a further long-term settlement,” said Ushakov, a senior advisor to Russian president, Vladimir Putin and a key figure in the Kremlin’s diplomatic negotiations. 

The exchange highlights China’s continued efforts to maintain Russia relations,whilst showcasing a public neutrality ahead of talks with Washington. Despite China’s self-described position of neutrality regarding the conflict in Ukraine, Russia remains a close ally of Beijing. In the same press conference, Guo Jiakun also stressed the “stability” provided by Russia-China relations, naming the countries as “comprehensive strategic partners of coordination for a new era”. Guo’s comments at Monday’s press conference also coincide with the end of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, under which a swap of 1000 prisoners from each country are expected to be exchanged. 

  Beijing has previously stated that “[d]ialogue and negotiation are the only viable solution to the Ukraine crisis”, and has continued to take a neutral stance, with China serving as both Russia and Ukraine’s main trading partner. 

 Donald Trump is set to arrive in Beijing on Wednesday for a two-day summit with President Xi Jinping. It will mark the first visit from a U.S. president in almost a decade, with Trump’s last visit to China in November 2017. Both the Russia-Ukraine and US-Iran conflicts are set to be high on the agenda of the highly anticipated summit, which coincides with the temporary ceasefires of both conflicts. 

 Guo’s comments at Monday’s press conference highlight China’s continued efforts to maintain close ties with Russia while avoiding direct alignment with the Kremlin ahead of talks with Trump later this week.  

lw