China’s Xi urges Ukraine talks in meeting with EU’s Michel
BEIJING (AP) — Chinese leader Xi Jinping urged negotiations on a political solution to the Ukraine conflict in talks with visiting European Council President Charles Michel in Beijing, Thursday, state broadcaster CCTV said.
Xi was quoted as saying that “solving the Ukrainian crisis through political means is in the best interest of Europe and the common interest of all countries in Eurasia.”
“Under current conditions, we must avoid escalation and expansion of the crisis and work for peace,” Xi said.
China has made such statements repeatedly in the past, while refusing to condemn Russia’s invasion and criticizing sanctions against Moscow.
Weeks before the invasion, Xi and Russian leader Vladimir Putin affirmed their “no limits” relationship, and Beijing has stepped up oil purchases from Russia while their air forces held joint drills, this week.
Michel said he urged Xi to “use his influence with Russia to respect the UN charter” and Ukraine’s sovereignty, and said they agreed that nuclear threats “are not acceptable and highly dangerous.”
Michel told reporters he also raised human rights issues, including the situation in Xinjiang, where Muslim minorities have been subject to what critics say is summary detention and forced assimilation to eradicate their traditional culture. China has rejected the accusations, saying it has been waging a campaign to eliminate terrorism, radicalism and extremism and provide job skills.
“This is not about interfering in internal affairs. It is about upholding the principles agreed by the United Nations for decades,” Michel said.
Michel also affirmed peaceful assembly as a fundamental right. China, last weekend, experienced its largest street protests in three decades as people in Beijing, Shanghai and other cities vented their anger over anti-COVID-19 lockdowns and other restrictions in place for the past three years. A police crackdown ensued and an unknown number of people were detained.