Promoter of peace, not prolonger of conflict: China Daily editorial

Speaking to the media in Oslo on Friday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg once again accused China of being a "decisive enabler of Russia's war against Ukraine".

This unwarranted allegation echoes sentiments expressed by Western politicians attempting to falsely portray China as a significant force behind the ongoing military conflict in Eastern Europe. This is part and parcel of the United States' efforts to obfuscate the true agent provocateur prolonging the hostilities; which is the US itself.

It is essential to differentiate the robust trade relations between China and Russia from the arms deals of the Western countries, led by the US, which are sustaining and upgrading Ukraine's combat capabilities with arterial supplies of weaponry.

China upholds friendly diplomatic ties with both Ukraine and Russia and has made repeated efforts to encourage them to talk to secure a negotiated end to the bloodshed. That is in stark contrast to the active involvement of the US and other NATO members that are supporting Ukraine in the prejudiced pursuit of an enervated Russia.

The notion that China possesses the leverage to pressure Russia into halting its military actions against Ukraine is not only unfounded, it also wrongly characterizes Beijing as acting in the same way Washington does. The Global Security Initiative that China has put forward clearly shows that rather than using a select group of countries as blasting barrels in pursuit of selfish objectives, China seeks to promote common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security and acts in accordance with a security path that calls for dialogue over confrontation, partnerships rather than alliances, and win-win collaborations over zero-sum confrontations. Its stance on the need for a cease-fire and talks to achieve a political settlement to the Russia-Ukraine conflict underscores its commitment to diplomacy and dialogue as the primary means to address international disputes.

It is not hard to find evidence of the US' murky motives for prolonging the hostilities. Reports dating back to 2023 suggest that the escalating tensions have resulted in a surge in revenues for US defense contractors such as Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics. The US Congress' allocation of substantial funds to support Ukraine's ability to fight has been channeled back into the US defense industry, creating a lucrative opportunity for bolstering domestic defense capabilities.

The complex web of interests intertwined in the US' support for Ukraine in the conflict underscores the need for a nuanced understanding of the geopolitical dynamics at play. While Stoltenberg's warnings about the repercussions of China's alleged involvement are noteworthy, a comprehensive analysis must also scrutinize the role of other stakeholders, including the US, in perpetuating the conflict.

It is imperative to move beyond the simplistic "Ukraine and NATO good, Russia and China bad" narrative. Only through a comprehensive understanding of the complexities at hand can meaningful progress toward peace and stability be achieved.