China spark backlash over calls for end to Russia-Ukraine war
Zelensky marks one year since Russia invaded Ukraine
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Western allies have blasted China’s 12-point plan for talks to end the war between Ukraine and Russia as hypocritical and lacking credibility. The derision over Beijing’s proposal for a ceasefire and negotiations comes as reports claimed the communist state was considering giving Vladimir Putin 100 kamikaze drones.
China says it maintains a neutral stance in the war, but warns its relationship with Moscow has “no limits” and refuses to acknowledge the conflict as a Russian invasion.
It also accused Western governments of provoking the conflict and “fanning the flame” by providing Kyiv with defensive weapons.
China’s so-called peace plan was revealed on the eve of Friday’s one-year anniversary of Putin’s barbaric invasion of Ukraine.
Beijing says it wants to prevent the crisis from getting out of control and insists dialogue and negotiation are the only way to resolve the conflict.
Its plan calls for an end to Western sanctions, negotiations likely to lead to Ukraine ceding territory, Nato pulling back from its eastern borders and reconstruction efforts that would probably benefit Chinese contractors.
Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg said Beijing lacked trustworthiness and there were signs it planned to give Moscow weapons and ammunition.
Saying Beijing had signed an agreement with Putin only days before the invasion, he added: “China doesn’t have much credibility because they have not been able to condemn the illegal invasion of Ukraine.”
US intelligence also fears Beijing is poised to supply Moscow with arms. China denies this.
Mr Stoltenberg added: “We have not seen actual delivery of lethal aid, but what we have seen are signs and indications that China may be planning and considering the supply of military aid to Russia. China should not do that.”
A German magazine report also said a Chinese manufacturer is in talks to sell 100 drones capable of carrying 110lb of warheads to the Russian military.
It also claimed Xi’an Bingo Intelligent Aviation planned to deliver the know-how for Moscow to produce 100 drones a month independently.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said on Friday: “It can’t help the peace if China effectively supplies the one nation that has broken the international law on the sovereignty of Ukraine and been inflicting war crimes. But I’m also confident that China is pretty clear that it wants this [war] to stop.”
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has backed President Volodymyr Zelensky’s insistence that peace is only possible on Ukraine’s terms.
After a virtual meeting of G7 leaders on Friday, a Downing Street spokesman said: “Reflecting on China’s ceasefire proposals, the Prime Minister said he supported President Zelensky’s calls for China to engage with Ukraine, adding that peace could only be achieved on Ukraine’s terms.”
Before China unveiled its plan, German chancellor Olaf Scholz urged the world to be wary of Beijing’s intentions. He said: “We should have no illusions about China. They have up until now not taken a stand against Russia.”
In the latest sign ties between the two nations are growing stronger, China’s most senior diplomat, Wang Yi, concluded a two-day visit in Moscow, where he met Putin.
Earlier this week, Chinese diplomats and state media accused the US of “fuelling the fire” after Washington said it warned Beijing against providing Moscow with weapons. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbing said: “We urge the US to stop smearing China and shifting blames, and stop fanning the flame and fuelling the fight with more weaponry.”
Although Mr Zelensky has welcomed Beijing’s input, he instead pointed to his own peace plan, which is to be voted on by the United Nations General Assembly.
He said: “It seems to me our ‘peace formula’ has already been supported by a large number of states and we expect that they will support it when there will be a meeting of the UN and a vote on the corresponding resolution.”
Despite China’s calls for “peace and dialogue”, Beijing abstained when the UN approved a resolution on Thursday, calling on Russia to halt hostilities in Ukraine and withdraw its armed forces.
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