China to seek political settlement of Ukraine issue: FM spokesperson

BEIJING -- China has always stood on the side of peace and justice and will continue to promote a political settlement of the Ukraine issue, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Friday.

Spokesperson Wang Wenbin made the remarks at a news briefing in response to a relevant question.

China has always decided its own position and policy based on the merits of the matter itself, and has always stood on the side of peace and justice, Wang said.

China always believes that there is a complex historical background and context on the Ukraine issue, and the legitimate security concerns of all sides should be respected, Wang said, calling on parties concerned to completely abandon the Cold War mentality, seek a comprehensive solution through dialogue and negotiation, and finally form a balanced, effective and sustainable security mechanism in Europe.

He said for a period of time, China has been actively promoting the political settlement of the Ukraine issue and stressed all parties concerned should adhere to the general direction of political settlement, make full use of multilateral platforms, and seek a comprehensive solution to the Ukraine issue through dialogue and consultation.

In the future, China will continue to make its own efforts to promote a political settlement of the Ukraine issue, and China's approach is in sharp contrast to the US approach that aims to create a crisis and benefit from the crisis, Wang added.

"History will come to a just conclusion as to which approach is more conducive to the security and long-term stability of Europe," he said.

At present, the door to a peaceful solution to the Ukraine issue has not been completely closed, Wang said, adding that China hopes that parties concerned can remain calm and rational, and commit themselves to peacefully resolving relevant issues through negotiation in accordance with the principles of the UN Charter.

"China will continue to promote peace talks in its own way, and welcome all efforts to promote a diplomatic solution," the spokesperson said.