Beijing, China / TimesNewswire / February 26, 2023 – As the full escalation of the Ukraine crisis reached its one-year mark, CGTN Think Tank launched a global opinion poll for global netizens. According to the poll, 82.6 percent of the respondents believe that the most important thing now is to cease hostilities and promote talks for peace. Dialogue and negotiation are the only viable solutions to the Ukraine crisis.
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs released China’s Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis on February 24, comprehensively outlining China’s basic position and propositions in 12 aspects.
The paper states that unilateral sanctions and maximum pressure cannot solve the issue; they only create new problems. According to the poll, 91.6 percent agree with this and call on some countries to abandon the Cold War mentality and stop abusing unilateral sanctions and “long-arm jurisdiction” against other countries to avoid further escalation.
The paper also states that the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of all countries must be effectively upheld, which is supported by 86 percent of the respondents who believe that the legitimate security interests and concerns of all countries must be taken seriously and addressed properly.
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has been causing immense suffering of countless people, and China is highly concerned about this. The paper says efforts are needed to increase humanitarian assistance to relevant areas, improve humanitarian conditions, and provide rapid, safe and unimpeded humanitarian access, with a view to preventing a humanitarian crisis on a larger scale. About 89.5 percent of the respondents agree with this view, read the poll.
In the year since the outbreak of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, China has always stood firmly on the side of peace and dialogue, and has insisted on promoting talks for peace.
China’s position paper has shown China’s commitment as a responsible major country, and China’s proposition of playing a constructive role in resolving the Ukraine crisis and achieving peace as early as possible.
Commendations from global senior officials and experts
China’s position paper on a political settlement of the Ukraine crisis represents “an important contribution,” Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, told a regular press briefing on Friday.
“I think the plan put forward by the Chinese government is an important contribution,” the spokesman said, adding that “the call on the need to avoid the use of nuclear weapons is particularly important.”
Russian Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson Maria Zakharova praised China’s new move on the same day, saying that, “We highly value the aspiration of our Chinese friends to contribute to a settlement of the conflict in Ukraine through peaceful means.”
“We share the views of China. We are committed to complying with the principles of the UN Charter and the provisions of international law, including humanitarian law and indivisibility of security,” she added.
Ukrainian experts echoed Russia’s opinion on China’s new proposals in interviews with CGTN. “China is the second largest power in the world today and China’s position cannot be ignored. China’s initiative has won support from many developing countries,” said Vadim Karasyov, Ukrainian political scientist and director of the Institute of Global Strategies.
“China’s position is bound to be taken seriously by both sides in the conflict and by today’s world leading powers,” he added.
“The position announced by China is a set of universal principles suitable for the peaceful settlement of conflicts, which is based on the UN Charter, principles of international law and human ethics. Most of its principles can be the basis for the peaceful resolution of differences. China’s stance deserves further study and analysis,” Ruslan Bortnik, director of the Ukrainian Institute of Analysis and Management of Policy, told CGTN.
World-renowned American economist Jeffrey Sachs also applauded China’s peace proposals, saying that what China has been saying about the Russia-Ukraine crisis, the newly released paper and China’s Global Security Initiative are extremely important.
“China recognized from the very start that there were true security interests on both sides – Ukraine and Russia – that need to be observed in order for this war to end, and they can be observed, and they should be reflected and respected through dialogue and negotiation.”
