BEIJING, July 23. /TASS/. The Chinese authorities will continue to promote the peaceful settlement of the Ukrainian crisis during Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba’s visit to the country, Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Mao Ning said.

"The Chinese side continues to promote peace and support the strengthening of consensus in the international community with the aim of jointly seeking real ways to settle the [Ukrainian] crisis by political means," she said at a briefing, answering a TASS question on what Beijing expects from Kuleba's visit.

According to the spokeswoman, China has always "favored a ceasefire." Mao Ning emphasized that the peaceful settlement of the crisis "corresponds to the interests of both sides."

Kuleba will pay a visit to China on July 23-26. The purpose of the visit is to discuss bilateral cooperation and issues regarding the peaceful settlement of the Ukrainian crisis. In February 2023, Beijing presented its plan for resolving the crisis, the key provisions of which were the resumption of peace talks and the cessation of hostilities.