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China supports Europe’s aspiration to resume Russia-Ukraine peace talks — diplomat

According to Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Wang Wenbin, Beijing stands for "effective and sustainable framework for European security"

BEIJING, April 19. /TASS/. Chinese authorities support European countries’ aspiration to resume Russia-Ukraine peace talks as soon as possible, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Wang Wenbin said on Wednesday.

"China supports the European side, which, guided by its fundamental and long-term interests, aims to resume peace talks [between Russia and Ukraine] as soon as possible," the diplomat told reporters at a briefing, responding to a TASS question about how Beijing assessed information about French President Emmanuel Macron’s intentions to offer China a plan which could lead to the resumption of Russia-Ukraine peace talks.

According to the Chinese diplomat, Beijing stands for "effective and sustainable framework for European security". As he explained, during the recent visit of the French president to China the leaders "discussed in detail" the Ukrainian crisis.

Wan Wenbin also quoted Chinese President Xi Jinping who earlier said that there was "no panacea for defusing the crisis". According to the Chinese head of state, each of the parties should create favorable conditions for dialogue.

Bloomberg reported on Tuesday, citing sources, that Macron reportedly instructed his adviser Emmanuel Bonn to stay in touch with the head of the office of the Chinese Communist Party’s Foreign Affairs Commission, Wang Yi, in order to formulate a program that might serve as the basis for future negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. According to the agency’s information, the French leader plans to address his Chinese counterpart and propose a plan that could lead to the reinstatement of Russia-Ukraine dialogue.

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