US Secretary Blinken and Chinese Director Wang Yi Talk, Differing Views on Ukraine Situation

U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken and Wang Yi, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister
[Photo by AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken and Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke on the phone on the 5th (local time) to discuss the Ukraine situation but revealed differences in their positions.

Secretary Blinken emphasized the international community's "unity" against Russia, while State Councilor Wang defended Russia's claim that the invasion of Ukraine was due to NATO's eastward expansion.

Secretary Blinken described Russia's invasion of Ukraine as an "unjust and premeditated war," stating that the world is watching which countries uphold the fundamental principles of freedom, self-determination, and sovereignty. He also stressed that the world is united in rejecting and responding to Russia's aggression and that Russia will undoubtedly pay a heavy price.

In response, Wang said, "As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China has consistently determined its stance and policies based on the merits of the issue itself."

China abstained from voting on UN Security Council and UN General Assembly resolutions condemning the invasion of Ukraine, as well as from the UN Human Rights Council vote to establish a commission of inquiry into Russia's human rights violations.

State Councilor Wang emphasized that the Ukraine issue should be resolved based on principles such as respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity and peaceful resolution through dialogue, stating, "We encourage direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine." However, he reaffirmed solidarity with Russia's position by saying, "We attach importance to the impact that NATO's continuous eastward expansion has created on Russia's security environment."

China has shown a principled stance that the sovereignty of all countries must be respected, while also supporting Russia's position by emphasizing that Russia's security concerns must be addressed.

Meanwhile, the Chinese Foreign Ministry stated that the two also exchanged views on the current situation on the Korean Peninsula. It is presumed that they also discussed North Korea's suspected ballistic missile launch on the 5th.

Wang also expressed "serious concerns" about recent U.S. actions, seemingly referring to the recent visit to Taiwan by former U.S. senior officials in diplomacy and security, effectively acting as special envoys of President Joe Biden.

Their phone call was the first since the 22nd of last month, 12 days ago, and the first since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.