China urges Russia, Ukraine to continue peace talks

China supports Russia and Ukraine in overcoming their difficulties and continuing peace talks, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Wednesday, adding that China is supportive of the positive results achieved so far through negotiations.

Wang made the remark during a bilateral meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who is in Tunxi, Anhui province, to attend a two-day meeting of foreign ministers of countries bordering Afghanistan.

China always upholds objectivity and fairness on international affairs and stands on the right side of history, Wang said.

He noted that the Ukraine issue has special historical complexities, is related to problems and tensions built up over the past years concerning European security, and is also the result of a Cold War mentality and bloc confrontations, he said.

Wang expressed China's support for an early de-escalation of the current situation in Ukraine and for the efforts made by Russia and all parties to prevent a large-scale humanitarian crisis.

In the long run, he said it is necessary to draw lessons from the Ukraine crisis and respond to the reasonable concerns of all parties under the principles of mutual respect and indivisible security.

A balanced, effective and sustainable European security architecture should be built through dialogue and negotiations in order to realize lasting peace and stability in Europe, Wang said.

Speaking of the China-Russia relationship, Wang said that bilateral ties have withstood the test of international turbulence, kept on the right track and showed resilience in their development.

The two sides are developing their relations with increased willingness and pushing forward cooperation in all fields with more confidence, he said.

China is ready to work with Russia to bring their bilateral ties to a higher level in the new era under the guidance of the important consensuses reached between their heads of state, Wang added.

According to a news release from the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Lavrov briefed Wang about the peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, saying that Russia is committed to cooling down the tensions and will continue with the peace talks and maintain communications with the international community.

He highlighted the important role of strategic communications between the Russia and China in terms of advancing the stable development of China-Russia relations and promoting world multipolarization as the international situation comes to a critical moment.

His country is willing to work with China to implement the heads of states' consensus, and keep strengthening high-level strategic coordination and deepening mutually beneficial cooperation in all fields, the Russian foreign minister said.

Meanwhile, Russia will work with China to actively advance the multipolarization process on the international and multilateral stages and oppose hegemony and power politics, he added.

The two sides also exchanged views on issues including the Asia-Pacific situation and the Korean Peninsula.

Speaking at a news briefing in Beijing on Wednesday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said that there is no limit to China-Russia cooperation, and no limit to their efforts to achieve peace, safeguard security and oppose hegemony.

On Wednesday, Wang Yi also held talks with other foreign ministers attending the meeting in Anhui, including his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi.