China's President Xi Jinping. Photo Credit: Bloomberg
Exactly a year into the Russa-Ukraine war, on February 24, 2023, China released the Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis, a 12-point document that details how the current war in Eastern Europe could be resolved. But what really is the paper all about? What was Beijing’s motivation for it, and could it settle the conflict in Ukraine?
China is not only gaining international exposure through its recent economic boom but also in peace and security. After mending the relationship between Saudi Arabia and Iran, Beijing’s involvement in global peace and security is making news. China released the 12-Point Position Paper. China boasts of having not created a war in its history but has constantly been a peace-long country and a crusader of peace in the world. Since 1990, China has contributed at least 50,000 troops to various UN Peacekeeping missions around the world. China also unveiled the Global Security Initiative (GSI) whitepaper, which perceives international peace and conflict resolution through the “China lens”.
The release of the position paper on Ukraine was followed by the remarkable security development in the Middle East where China successfully restored the relationship between Iran and Saudi Arabia, two historical adversaries. The peace made in the Middle East under the brokerage of Beijing challenged Washington and exposed further the Chinese global peace ambition.
The position paper encompasses 12 key recommendations: respecting the sovereignty of all countries; abandoning the Cold War mentality; ceasing hostilities; resuming peace talks; resolving the humanitarian crisis; protecting civilians and prisoners of war (POWs); keeping nuclear power plants safe; reducing strategic risks; facilitating grain exports; stopping unilateral sanctions; keeping industrial and supply chains stable; and promoting post-conflict reconstruction.
The 12-Point Position Paper was built on the Chinese GSI architecture and a prior statement issued on the Russia-Ukraine conflict at the UN security meeting on the war in Ukraine in September of 2022, that covered four areas: sticking to dialogues and negotiations, de-escalating the situation; respect for international humanitarian law; and protection of global supply chains especially those of grains and critical commodities.
Although China has been very successful in repairing ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia after failed attempts by the United States and its allies, many are asking the question of whether or not China’s peacemaking project would bear any fruits in the current Russia-Ukraine war. The 12-Point peace plan has been criticized on several grounds. The West, especially the United States, opposes any ceasefire between the two countries and perceives any peace talks as a ratification of Russia’s gains on the ground. Most Western countries have labeled China “untrustworthy” to make peace in Ukraine. The United States also considers China’s peace plan merely a plan for Beijing to strengthen its position vis-à-vis the United States on the international stage. The U.S has constantly warned that China might be supporting Russia in the war against Ukraine after it has never condemned Moscow nor used the term “invasion” or “Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine” when describing Moscow’s actions in Ukraine, and instead, embracing their (China and Russia) friendship with no limits sentiment. Apart from Putin himself, only France is a major European power to back Beijing’s 12-Point Position Paper. China has been alleged to be secretly helping Putin in the war on Ukraine, triggering the G7 countries to release a statement, part of which warned “anybody” supporting Russia in Ukraine.
“We reiterate our call on third parties to cease assistance to Russia’s war or face severe costs. We will reinforce our coordination to prevent and respond to third parties supplying weapons to Russia and continue to take actions against those who materially support Russia’s war against Ukraine.” Reads part of the statement
The continent of Europe has witnessed a major security threat since World War II when President Putin took the cruel decision to attack Ukraine in February of 2022. Due to the ripple effect and polarization in resolving the war in Ukraine, many have described Putin’s invasion of Ukraine as a world war III. The UN Security Council is more divided over the war, while the two sides each garner support. The United Nations General Assembly caused its first emergency.
The Russia-Ukraine war has attracted mixed reactions from the world, with the Western countries condemning Russia’s actions outrightly while China, a longstanding friend of Russia, has criticized the West, especially the U.S. for “fueling fire” in Ukraine. Beijing’s stance on the war has tilted toward a peaceful settlement of any tensions, as described in the 12-Point Position Paper on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis.
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