China's Defense Minister Dong Jun called for negotiations to end Russia's all-out war against Ukraine at the Xiangshan Forum in Beijing on Sept. 13., Bloomberg reported.
Beijing has positioned itself as neutral in the Russia-Ukraine war but has simultaneously deepened economic ties with Moscow and backed the country against Western sanctions.
China is pushing its own peace plan, which does not envisage the expulsion of all Russian forces from Ukrainian territory and was dismissed by the West.
Beijing has also emerged as one of Russia's leading sources of dual-use goods that feed the Russian defense industry.
Addressing defense officials from dozens of countries, including Russia and the U.S., the Chinese minister called for "more global governance."
"The earlier we sit down for negotiations, the sooner peace arrives on hot-spot issues," Dong said, echoing remarks of other Chinese officials throughout the war.
Ukraine's former Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said after the meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Guangzhou in July that China remains "unshakably" committed to Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Beijing confirmed that it will not provide Russia with weapons but criticized the country's peace initiative as "destructive."
Martin Fornusek
(Updated: )
