China is in contact with all parties seeking Ukraine peace, says the foreign minister. On Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang said Beijing would communicate with all sides of the Ukraine crisis, including Germany, to negotiate a truce.
“As a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and responsible major country, China will neither watch the fire from the other bank nor add fuel to the fire,” Qin said in Berlin with German colleague Annalena Baerbock.
Qin said Beijing “firmly opposes some countries in using their so-called laws to impose long-arm jurisdiction and unilateral sanctions on other countries, including China.”
“China will make necessary responses and resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and legitimate interests of Chinese enterprises,” Qin added.
Under the latest sanctions on Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine, the EU’s executive has suggested blocking Chinese firms and limiting shipments to states suspected of circumventing trade restrictions.
Baerbock added that discussions on the new sanctions package were underway, but preventing Russian defense industries “from gaining access to war-relevant goods” and “that sanctioned dual-use goods don’t fall into the wrong hands” were vital.
Diplomatic sources told Reuters that the EU executive’s plan focuses on combatting third-country circumvention of trade restrictions after the EU identified China, Turkey, the UAE, and Central Asian and Caucasus nations as probable perpetrators.
Germany is increasingly concerned about China as a geopolitical threat and its greatest commercial partner, and it has contemplated many steps as it reassesses bilateral relations.
