China responds to Zelensky's accusation of interference in global peace summit
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Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning responded to an accusation from President Volodymyr Zelensky on June 3, pushing back on Zelensky's claims that China is trying to sabotage the upcoming global peace summit.
The previous day, Zelensky accused China of "working hard" to prevent countries from participating in the summit, which is scheduled to be held in Switzerland on June 15-16.
China has never "fanned fire or fueled the flames" of Russia's full-scale war in Ukraine, Mao said.
"We believe that we can get the understanding and support of all parties," she added, saying that China's position on the summit has been "open and transparent."
China allegedly declined an invitation to participate in the summit as the terms it required to attend were not met, Reuters reported on May 31, citing several sources with direct knowledge of the matter.
While Zelensky said more than 100 countries and international organizations were set to attend, Bloomberg reported on May 23 that U.S. President Joe Biden is likely to miss the peace conference as it clashes with a campaign fundraiser.
Russia was not invited to the talks, but the Swiss hosts said that Moscow's representatives will have to take part in the process "sooner or later."
Speaking on May 16 at a press conference during Russian President Vladimir Putin's two-day visit to China, Chinese President Xi Jinping claimed both leaders agreed that a "political solution" to the war in Ukraine is "the correct direction."
