China reiterated backing for peace initiatives in Ukraine and condemned political deals over Gaza at a United Nations Security Council session on Tuesday. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that Beijing welcomes “all efforts conducive to peace talks” after US-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia for ending the Ukraine war.
Wang reiterated China’s adherence to four principles espoused by President Xi Jinping a year ago: averting self-interested benefits, avoiding intensification, promoting environment for peace, and reducing interference with global economy. Wang once again parroted Beijing’s line as he presided over the 15-member Security Council meeting on multilateralism while China took on February presidency.
Russia’s United Nations Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia utilized the session to condemn Western powers, contending that efforts at peace would need to address what he termed the fundamental causes of the Ukraine conflict, Russia’s security issues and Ukraine’s lack of respect for the rights of all its people. He charged certain states with acting in pursuit of geopolitics and not on equitable mediation.
Regarding the Middle East, Wang reaffirmed China’s unwavering commitment to a two-state solution and criticized recent disputed plans by United States President Donald Trump on Gaza. Trump proposed that the US must annex Gaza and resettle its population, igniting worldwide protests.
“Gaza and the West Bank are the Palestinian people’s homeland, not a political trade-off bargaining chip,” Wang stated. “Palestinians ruling Palestine should continue to be an important principle of post-conflict Gaza rule.”
China’s role at the UN session underscored its increasing diplomatic role in international conflicts while serving as a warning about Western-driven initiatives in Ukraine and the Middle East.