The key facts
- Sun Lei spoke at a UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine convened at the initiative of Western states
- China called for building a balanced regional security system
- Earlier, Jared Kushner described settling the conflict as an extremely difficult task
China's statement at the UN Security Council
China's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Sun Lei, said at a Security Council meeting devoted to the Ukrainian crisis that lasting peace requires eliminating the root causes of the conflict and taking into account the security interests of all parties. “It is extremely important to eliminate the root causes of the crisis and strive for a durable peace. There are no winners in conflicts and wars,” his words were cited by Life.ru; the diplomat's remarks were also reported by TASS with reference to Gazeta.Ru.
The essence of Beijing's position
According to Sun Lei, the parties to the conflict should draw lessons from what is happening and abandon approaches in which the security of some states is ensured at the expense of others. He called for adhering to the principle of indivisibility of security and taking into account the legitimate concerns of each side. In the Chinese diplomat's view, without resolving the accumulated contradictions, even a cessation of hostilities will not guarantee long-term stability. Beijing believes that a sustainable settlement is impossible without building a new regional security system — one that is balanced, effective and capable of preventing further conflicts. The statement was made at a meeting convened at the initiative of Western states; as the outlet notes, China has consistently advocated a diplomatic settlement and compliance with the principles of the UN Charter.
The negotiation context
The same Life.ru piece recalls that the US president's special envoy Jared Kushner previously described settling the Ukrainian conflict as an extremely difficult task. In his words, participants in the talks in Abu Dhabi will have to make difficult decisions, but Washington expects to achieve progress. Kushner stressed that the American side is approaching the discussions with determination and realism, but did not specify what compromises Moscow and Kyiv might make. Thus, China's statement at the Security Council came against the backdrop of ongoing diplomatic efforts, the details of which the parties have not yet disclosed publicly.
