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Confrontation and conflict in Ukraine is not in anyone’s interests, says Chinese leader

Peace and security is the most valuable asset of the global community, Xi Jinping noted

BEIJING, March 18. /TASS/. No one will benefit from an armed confrontation and the conflict in Ukraine, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Friday.

"Clashes and confrontations are not of benefit to anyone. Peace and security is the most valuable asset of the global community," China Central Television quoted the Chinese leader as saying during a videoconference with US President Joe Biden.

According to the Chinese president, interstate relations "should not evolve into the situation when the sides begin to use weapons against each other".

Earlier, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that during the videoconference Biden would make it clear that China would bear responsibility in case of rendering assistance to Moscow regarding the situation in Ukraine.

The video call of the US and Chinese leaders lasted almost two hours, China Central Television said. The videoconference began at 21:00 Beijing time (16:00 Moscow time) and ended at 22:52 (17:52 Moscow time), it specified. It was held in a closed format, and focused on a number of major issues, including the situation in Ukraine.

The Chinese leader spoke in favor of maintaining peace and invited Biden to make efforts to normalize relations between China and the US.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on February 24 that in response to a request by the heads of the Donbass republics he had made a decision to carry out a special military operation in Ukraine, stressing that Moscow had no plans of occupying Ukrainian territories. Putin said that the goals of the operation are demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine. Subsequently, the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom and some other countries started imposing sanctions on Russian individuals and companies.