China has decided not to attend a Ukraine peace conference in Switzerland next month because it does not meet its expectations, which include both Russia and Ukraine taking part. The Chinese Foreign Ministry stated that Switzerland’s plans for the summit fall short of China’s requests and the general expectations of the international community. China believes that an international peace conference should involve equal participation from both Russia and Ukraine, with all peace proposals discussed in a fair and equal manner for it to play a substantive role in restoring peace.
Russia was not invited to the conference and dismissed the talks as meaningless without its participation. Despite this, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov suggested that China could arrange a peace conference that includes both Russia and Ukraine. During a recent visit to China, Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed support for China’s plan for a peaceful settlement of the crisis in Ukraine. China and Russia have proclaimed a close relationship, but Beijing has so far avoided providing weapons and ammunition for Russia’s war effort. China had previously put forward a 12-point paper outlining general principles for ending the war in Ukraine.
China and Brazil recently signed a joint statement calling for Russia-Ukraine peace talks. Ukraine had invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to participate in the planned summit in Switzerland, and President Zelenskyy encouraged President Biden to attend as well. However, the United States has not confirmed who will represent them at the conference. China’s ambassador to Switzerland had indicated in March that Beijing would consider attending the conference. China’s special envoy for Eurasian affairs has engaged in shuttle diplomacy between various countries since the invasion began, putting forward proposals on supporting the exchange of prisoners of war and opposing the use of nuclear and biological weapons.
Several European leaders and the United States have urged China to do more to curb exports of dual-use items and critical components supporting Russia’s defense base. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called this issue the biggest threat to European security since the end of the Cold War. However, China maintains that its dual-use exports are subject to oversight and that it maintains normal trade relations with Russia. Switzerland had been seeking to persuade more Global South countries, as well as China, to attend the peace conference in June. Despite China’s decision not to participate, efforts for a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ukraine continue.
