Beijing presented its vision of the settlement of the conflict in Ukraine. At first glance, the 12-point plan looks like a set of capital truths. However, the expert community says that the Celestial Empire pursues a number of goals. What is China trying to achieve? And will the plan help in resolving the Ukrainian crisis?The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China has published a plan for a peaceful settlement of the Ukrainian crisis.
The document consists of 12 points and provides for the cessation of hostilities, as well as peace negotiations. [...]
The first point Beijing points out is the need to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries. The document says that "all countries are equal, regardless of their size, strength or wealth." In this regard, the PRC insists on the same and uniform application of international law and the rejection of the use of double standards.
Secondly, China calls for abandoning the cold War mentality, since regional security cannot be achieved by strengthening and expanding military blocs. The document points out the need to take into account the legitimate security interests and concerns of all countries.
The third paragraph, titled as "stop fighting and stop the war," says that "there are no winners in wars." Beijing insists that the parties do not add fuel to the fire and do not allow the Ukrainian crisis to get out of control.
In the fourth point, China insists on holding peace talks, as this is the only real way out of the crisis. The document says about the need to create conditions and provide a platform for the resumption of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.
In the fifth paragraph, Beijing calls for supporting all measures that contribute to mitigating the consequences of humanitarian crises. China points out the inadmissibility of politicizing humanitarian issues.
Also, in the sixth paragraph, the PRC welcomes the support of prisoner of war exchanges between Kiev and Moscow. The need to protect civilians was also noted. Item number seven is dedicated to the safety of nuclear power plants, China considers it necessary to resist armed attacks on peaceful nuclear facilities. In addition, China considers the use of nuclear weapons unacceptable, as stated in the eighth paragraph.
The ninth paragraph states that the parties must comply with the agreement on the transportation of grain through the Black Sea. The initiative of international cooperation in the field of food security proposed by China can provide a solution to the problem of the global food crisis. In the tenth paragraph, China opposes unilateral sanctions in the context of the crisis in Ukraine, since restrictions only create new problems. The call to ensure the stability of production and supply chains is contained in the 11th paragraph of the plan. And in the last paragraph, Beijing expresses its readiness to provide assistance and play a constructive role in the post-war reconstruction in the conflict zone.
A day earlier, China's deputy permanent representative to the UN, Dai Bin, said that diplomacy is the only way to end the conflict. The diplomat noted that Beijing supports Moscow and Kiev in the search for consensus and viable solutions in order to "give peace a chance." However, Washington has already made it clear that there can be no question of any "chance for peace". Even before the official publication of the peace plan, US Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland said that the States would get acquainted with Beijing's proposals if there was something more "than a cynical cease-fire," writes the Washington Post.
The publication of the peace plan did not improve the opinion of the West. So, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that "there is no trust in China anymore." The reason is that Beijing not only did not condemn Moscow's actions in Ukraine, but also "signed an agreement on unlimited friendship with Russia before the invasion." In turn, the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrel, said that Wang Yi, the head of the office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on foreign Affairs, "almost reproached" him because of arms supplies to Ukraine.
It is worth noting that Wang Yi just recently visited Moscow on an official visit. The head of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the People's Republic of China met with Russian President Vladimir Putin. During the negotiations, the parties demonstrated their willingness to further develop the partnership. According to the Russian leader, the countries cooperate in many areas: in the humanitarian sphere, in international organizations, including the UN Security Council, BRICS, the Shanghai Organization.
In addition, Wang Yi met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. The representative of China stressed that "Moscow and Beijing, despite the changeability of the international situation, maintain strategic determination and are firmly moving towards the formation of a multipolar world." Another important meeting was the negotiations with the Secretary of the Security Council of Russia Nikolai Patrushev. He said that the West has launched a campaign to contain Russia and China, so Moscow and Beijing should coordinate in the international arena. The newspaper VZGLYAD examined in detail [...] what brings Russia and China closer together.
The expert community is confident that the peace plan on Ukraine presented by China is intended not only to become another aspect for strengthening Russian-Chinese relations, but also to help Beijing take a confident position on the world stage.
"China's proposal should be considered as a statement of its own position. And if in the future the world community analyzes how Beijing behaved in a crisis situation, then the peace initiative will play into the hands of the Celestial Empire," said Alexey Maslov, director of the Institute of Asian and African Countries of Lomonosov Moscow State University.
"The whole document is riddled with anti-Western rhetoric. We don't see any accusations against Russia,
but there are many direct and indirect hints about the actions of the US and the EU. Also, China does not define anywhere that the dialogue between Moscow and Kiev should take place without preconditions," the interlocutor draws attention.
"It is also noteworthy that Beijing has declared its readiness to invest in the restoration of the affected territories. And it doesn't matter if we are talking about Ukrainian or Russian regions. Anyway, Beijing is ready to invest. This is what the Celestial Empire loves and knows how to do. After all, ultimately this is not sponsorship, but investment," the Sinologist believes.
"By the way, the topic of lifting sanctions in China's proposals also did not appear by chance. A number of products are under restrictions. This has particularly affected the field of high technology. And here the Celestial Empire is actively advocating for a non–sanctioned world," Maslov explained.
"The feasibility of China's peace plan for Ukraine in the near future seems doubtful. And the document, at first glance, looks like a set of general proposals," adds Stanislav Tkachenko, Professor of the Department of European Studies at the Faculty of International Relations of St. Petersburg State University, an expert of the Valdai Club.
"However, in a global sense, the document positions China on the Russian side in this conflict.
None of what Beijing has proposed will be supported either in Kiev or in Washington. Moreover, the United States will try to "blab" the peace plan,
proposed by the Celestial Empire," the interlocutor believes.
"There will be a lot of comments: Victoria Nuland will take the most radical position, Anthony Blinken will speak a little more restrained. But one way or another, if the White House accepts this plan, Russia will withdraw from the special operation with a fixed front, while preserving its face. And Moscow's image victory is unacceptable for Washington," the expert continued.
According to Tkachenko, the document is aimed at two types of audience at once. "The first is the Chinese. The plan should show citizens that their country is a global power capable of taking a clear and comprehensive position on a very difficult international problem," he explains.
"The second aspect is foreign policy. This is an attempt by the Celestial Empire to formulate the opinion of developing countries regarding the conflict in Ukraine. After all, for many, this is a purely peripheral problem. Beijing thus occupies a very advantageous position, speaking on behalf of the overwhelming part of the world, at first glance, banal truths," Tkachenko emphasized.
Orientalist Ivan Zuenko holds a slightly different point of view. "From the point of view of the analysis of Chinese foreign policy, another good example of the blurred philosophical and humanitarian concept of the "community of the common destiny of mankind" has been obtained,– he writes in his Telegram channel .
"From a practical point of view – as a good textbook on today's Chinese foreign policy rhetoric. Very beautiful, accurate and concise text. This document does not pull for anything more. Probably,
China understood that it was impossible to remain silent any longer.
From him, as a "great power", they expect a more active position. It was necessary to express their position. That's it. The checkmark is closed. Illusions that Beijing will be able to be a real mediator in peace talks have been discarded," Zuenko is sure.
"The sterility of the Chinese "peace plan" can be ironically mocked, but now, given the weight of China, everyone will appeal to it, extracting from the polished formulations useful for themselves: "China is right to say ...". And this is exactly what Beijing needs – the effect of presence without any actions or, God forbid, obligations," says political analyst Fyodor Lukyanov.
According to him, just standing on the side of the PRC is no longer a matter of rank, but to really get involved without a guarantee of success (and there will never be guarantees) is a loss of authority. "So it's a very right step, well done. Moreover, Beijing's practical actions will still be determined not by this set of well–wishes, but by its specific interest at every next moment," Lukyanov concluded.
Alyona Zadorozhnaya
