Three days before his communist government turns 75, China’s foreign minister warned fellow leaders Saturday against an “expansion of the battlefield” in Russia’s war with Ukraine and said the Beijing government remains committed to shuttle diplomacy and efforts to push the conflict toward its end.
“The top priority is to commit to no expansion of the battlefield. … China is committed to playing a constructive role,” Wang Yi said. He warned against other nations “throwing oil on the fire or exploiting the situation for selfish gains,” a likely reference to the United States.
Wang’s speech appeared to break no new ground, as is generally China’s recent practice at the UN General Assembly’s annual meeting of leaders. In fact, his boss, Chinese President Xi Jinping, has not participated in the leaders’ meeting since 2021 — and then only virtually, during the pandemic. Xi has not attended in person for several years.
On Friday, on the assembly sidelines, China and Brazil sought to build enthusiasm for their peace plan for Ukraine. They said about a dozen countries signed a communique that says they “note” the six-point plan. The plan calls for a peace conference with both Ukraine and Russia and no expansion of the battlefield, among other provisions.
Ukrainian officials have given the proposal a cold shoulder, but the countries that signed the communique are forming a group of “friends for peace” for their UN ambassadors to keep the conversation going among themselves. Ranging from Algeria to Zambia, the members are largely African or Latin American countries. Wang made sure to note Friday that the group doesn’t decree individual countries’ policies.