China, Belarus Issue Vague Call for Bringing Peace to Ukraine

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(Bloomberg) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping and Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko said they wanted to see peace in Ukraine, though they avoided providing details on how they’d bring the year-old war to an end.

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The Foreign Ministry in Beijing said in a joint statement Thursday that they “expressed deep concern over the prolongation of the regional armed conflict and looked forward to restoring peace in Ukraine as soon as possible to avoid escalation of the crisis.”

“The two sides are willing to make efforts to restore regional peace,” the ministry added, without providing details.

Chinese state media said earlier that Xi met Lukashenko, an ally of Russian leader Vladimir Putin, in Beijing on Wednesday — discussions that are being closely watched for signs that China is expanding coordination with Moscow and its supporters in their standoff with the West.

China last week laid out a 12-point peace initiative for Ukraine that was quickly dismissed by Kyiv’s allies because it would largely favor Moscow if enacted. China has repeatedly defended Putin’s rationale for the invasion, and has avoided referring to the fighting as a “war.” The word didn’t appear in the Foreign Ministry’s latest statement.

Lukashenko allowed Russian forces to assemble in his country before attacking neighboring Ukraine, and he remains one of Putin’s closest allies.

China has avoided saying how it would help bring peace to Ukraine. When asked at a regular press briefing Wednesday what specific actions Beijing has taken besides issuing the 12 bullet points, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said only: “We have been in communication with all parties and actively promoting talks for peace.”

US and European officials have questioned China’s refusal to condemn the war and urge Russia to withdraw its forces. Washington has also warned Beijing against sending arms to Moscow.

The US has portrayed the Xi-Lukashenko summit as a sign that the Chinese leader is aligning with Putin, after declaring a “no limits” relationship between their two countries in the runup to the invasion.

“The fact that the PRC is now engaging with Lukashenko, who has in effect ceded his own sovereignty to Russia, is just another element of the PRC’s deepening engagement with Russia,” US State Department spokesman Ned Price said Monday, referring to China’s formal name.

Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang said last week that Beijing and Minsk had “achieved a historic leap” after Xi and Lukashenko last year elevated ties to an “all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership.” Belarus is the only country after Pakistan to have its relationship with China described that way.

The statement Thursday again alluded to that close relationship, saying Xi and Lukashenko agreed it should be further developed.

The two nations also agreed to “promote the active expansion of trade exchanges between government departments and enterprises,” according to the ministry statement, and to take steps to expand investment.

They also said they’d increase direct flights — a pledge that comes as China reopens to the outside world after Xi’s harsh Covid Zero strategy severed links to nearly three years.

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