Can China's peace plan for Ukraine work?

The People's Republic of China wants peace in Europe.



Beijing is calling for an end to Western sanctions on Russia and urging Moscow and Kyiv to hold peace talks.
And it suggests creating humanitarian corridors for civilians.

The plan also warns against the use of nuclear weapons.
So could Kyiv and Moscow compromise?


Over the past year the West has tried to cajole China to help them end the Ukraine war. Now Beijing has given its firmest response yet - and it's not something many in the West would like.

In recent days, China has launched an assertive charm offensive, kicking off with top diplomat Wang Yi's tour of Europe which culminated in a warm welcome by Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

Beijing has released not one but two position papers - the first offering the Chinese solution to the war and the other outlining a plan for world peace. These largely retread the talking points China has reiterated in the past year, calling for respect for sovereignty (for Ukraine) and the protection of national security interests (for Russia), while opposing the use of unilateral sanctions (by the US).



The West may come away unimpressed - but convincing them was never likely the main goal for Beijing.

Firstly, it clearly seeks to position itself as a global peacemaker. An obvious clue about who it's really trying to charm lies in one of its papers where it mentions engaging South East Asia, Africa and South America - the so-called Global South.

In preaching an alternative vision to a US-led world order, it is wooing the rest of the globe which is watching to see how the West handles the Ukraine crisis.

But another goal is to send a clear message to the US.

"There is an element of defiance," said Alexander Korolev, an expert in Sino-Russian ties with the University of New South Wales. "It is signalling: 'If things get ugly between us, I have someone to go to. Russia is not alone, which means that I will not be alone when there is a confrontation… don't get comfortable in bullying me.'"

The timing, say observers, is a giveaway. Relations between the US and China have hit a new low, exacerbated by the spy balloon saga. Some have also questioned why China has made its big diplomatic push for Ukraine peace only now.

"China had ample opportunities to display leadership, it was invited early on to contribute to ending the war… If the goal was to truly display the image of a global leader, you don't have to sit on the fence for one year and try to perform a diplomatic dance," said Dr Korolev.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Wednesday that he had invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit his country.

"We are ready to see him here," Zelenskyy told the Associated Press.



Xi, who recently visited his "dear friend" Russian President Vladimir Putin on a state visit to Moscow, has not spoken with Zelenskyy since Russia launched its invasion on February 24, 2022.

"I want to speak with him. I had contact with him before full-scale war. But during all this year, more than one year, I didn't have," said Zelenskyy.

The Ukrainian president also suggested that despite China's clear alliance with Russia, Beijing had not given Vladimir Putin what he wanted during the recent Moscow meeting, namely weapons and ammunition to replace dwindling Russian stockpiles.