World News | Ahead of G20 FMs Meet, China Says It is in 'communication' with All Countries for Peace Talks to End Ukraine War

Beijing, Mar 1 (PTI) Ahead of Thursday's G20 Foreign Ministers' meeting in New Delhi, China said on Wednesday that it is in "communication" with all the countries for peace talks to end the Ukraine conflict and called on the international community to play a "constructive role" to de-escalate the situation.

Asked about India's reported efforts to forge consensus at the G20 Foreign Ministers' meeting in Delhi similar to the one that was reached at the group's leaders meeting last year, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that "we have been in communication with all parties and actively promoting talks for peace".

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Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang is attending the New Delhi meeting.

Mao said that the international community needs to play a constructive role in de-escalating the situation, reducing the temperature and facilitating a political settlement to the crisis.

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"We are ready to work with the rest of the world to continue to play a constructive role in working for a political settlement of the crisis," she told a media briefing here. She reiterated Beijing's 12-point plan to end the war between Russia and Ukraine when pressed for details.

"Our position on the Ukraine issue is clear and consistent and fully laid out in the recently-released China's Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis, which is centered on promoting talks for peace," she said.

China, a close ally of Russia, on February 24 issued a 12-point position paper on the Ukraine conflict calling for a ceasefire to end the war and open peace talks.

Beijing also struck a nuanced stand of respecting Ukraine's sovereignty and Moscow's legitimate security concerns while expressing its firm opposition to the use of nuclear and biological weapons.

The paper was released shortly after top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi's visit to Moscow on February 22 during which he met Russian President Vladimir Putin, reaffirming that the China-Russia relationship has stood the test of the drastic changes in the world landscape and become mature and tenacious, standing as firm as Mount Tai, a sacred mountain in China.

Beijing so far has not condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine and continues to maintain close political, trade and military ties with Moscow.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)