China finds it challenging to take part in a Ukraine peace summit.
In June, Switzerland will be hosting a peace summit for Ukraine. The aggressive party, Russia, has not been invited. Recently, signs from China hint that they might not attend the conference as well. Moscow feels satisfied about this and deems the meeting a waste of time.
China has expressed that participating in the upcoming Ukraine peace conference in Switzerland will be 'challenging' due to Russia's exclusion. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated, "The nature of the meeting doesn't align with Chinese guidelines, and it doesn't meet the expectations of the global community." She further added, "The conference should involve 'equal involvement of all parties' and a 'balanced examination of all peace plans'. Otherwise, the conference might struggle to have a significant impact on restoring peace."
Russia is not granted access to the meeting scheduled for June 15 and 16 near Lucerne. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had extended invitations to China and President Joe Biden. Moscow concurred with China's stance. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov commented, "Since the start of the war, China has cautioned about the impracticality of such summits without Russia. A peace search without Russia is completely illogical, fruitless, and a waste of time." China perceives its role in the Ukraine conflict as neutral.
Despite this, China is criticized by countries like the USA for not criticizing Russia's attack. Russian President Vladimir Putin has been a guest in China throughout the war. Beijing's defense minister Dong Jun reiterated China's 'impartial, objective' stance at the Shangri-La Security Conference, as stated by spokesperson Wu Qian. "We adhere to our vow not to provide weapons to either party involved in the conflict," Wu said. "China will continue to push for peace talks and execute a positive part, but we forcefully reject the endeavor by the United States to place the blame onto us," he added.
Allegations accuse China of providing Russia with technology that can be utilized for weapon manufacturing. The Swiss conference takes place before the G7 summit in neighboring Italy. Therefore, there is optimism that several heads of state and government, including Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz, will join the discussions in Switzerland. The G7 comprises Germany, the United States, France, Italy, Great Britain, Canada, and Japan.
