China says ‘highly concerned’ about civilian casualties in Ukraine

Tuesday night’s phone call between Foreign Ministers was the first high-level contact between Ukraine and China.

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi conveyed to his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba that Beijing was “highly concerned” about the damage done to civilians amid the conflict in Ukraine. Tuesday night’s phone call was the first high-level contact between Ukraine and China, which has neither criticised the actions of its close ally Russia nor called it an invasion. Mr. Wang did not do so either, although his comments expressing concern on civilian casualties marked the strongest from China so far about the actions of Moscow. China and India, which both abstained on UN Security Council resolutions aimed at Russia, have in recent days both expressed similar concerns about the escalating violence, the safety of their nationals in Ukraine, and the failure of diplomacy. Neither has explicitly criticised Russia, although the worsening situation, coupled with growing global shock at the events in Ukraine, will further complicate their tightrope walk, with neither side — particularly China, which is facing increasing pressure from the West as a permanent member of the UNSC and because of its close relations with Russia — wanting to be seen as an enabler of Vladimir Putin. Mr. Wang’s phone call with Mr. Kuleba, which the Chinese side said was initiated by Ukraine, reflected that tightrope walk, coming days after President Xi Jinping spoke to Mr. Putin. The Chinese leader, as of Wednesday morning, had not yet spoken to Ukraine’s President Zelensky. “Wang Yi said the situation in Ukraine has changed rapidly and dramatically. China is deeply grieved to see the conflict between Ukraine and Russia and highly concerned about the damage done to civilians,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Mr. Wang said China “always advocated respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries.”

“On the current crisis, China calls on Ukraine and Russia to find a solution through negotiations and supports all constructive international efforts that are conducive to a political settlement,” Mr. Wang was quoted as saying. In keeping with China’s position over recent days, the support for Ukraine’s sovereignty was again couched in recognising Russia’s broader security concerns. “Wang Yi stressed that China has always believed that the security of one country should not be achieved at the expense of the security of other countries, and that regional security can not be achieved by expanding military blocs,” the Foreign Ministry said.  The Chinese Foreign Minister underlined Beijing’s particular concerns over the safety of Chinese citizens and “urged Ukraine to assume its due international responsibilities.” “The Chinese government attaches great importance to the safety of Chinese citizens in Ukraine and is concerned about their safety all the time,” Mr. Wang said, adding that the evacuation was “making progress, thanks to the support and cooperation from the Ukrainian side and the friendly assistance from all walks of life in Ukraine.”

He said China “appreciates Ukraine’s arrangement of special trains for the evacuation of foreign nationals, which is in line with the spirit of international humanitarianism.” “It is hoped that Ukraine will take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of Chinese citizens in Ukraine and continue to provide guarantee and convenience for their evacuation,” he added. The Chinese government said as of Tuesday, around 1,000 Chinese citizens in Ukraine had been safely relocated including to Moldova, Slovakia, Romania and Poland.