The Government of China has presented this Friday its peace plan for Ukraine composed of twelve proposals in an effort to provide a political solution to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, in which he calls for a ceasefire on both sides and defends the territorial integrity of all countries. The day on which it is fulfilled the first anniversary of the war in Ukraine, the Chinese Foreign Ministry has listed twelve proposals to end the armed conflict, including a request to the West to end its sanctions on Russia, or the establishment of peace talks. According to China, it is important to respect the sovereignty of all countries within the framework of the principles of the United Nations Charter -as Ukraine defends-, as well as to effectively guarantee the sovereignty, strength or wealth of States.

“All parties must jointly defend the basic norms that govern international relations and safeguard international equity and justice,” the proposal reads, where it is highlighted the importance of not adopting “double standards”. Likewise, the Chinese government has called for “the Cold War mentality” to be abandoned, stating that the security of a country “it cannot be at the expense of the security of other countries“, while he has indicated that regional security “cannot be guaranteed by strengthening or even expanding military blocs.” For this reason, he has asked the parties to adhere to a security concept “common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable” focused on long-term stability. He has also emphasized promoting “a balanced security architecture” on the Eurasian continent.

On the other hand, Chinese has called on the West to stop unilateral sanctions against Russia, arguing that these “not only will not solve the problems, but will create new ones”. “Relevant countries must stop abusing unilateral sanctions and ‘long-arm jurisdiction’ against other countries, play a role in cooling the crisis in Ukraine and create conditions for developing countries to develop their economies and improve people’s lives,” the Asian giant has asked, urging the West to oppose any sanctions not authorized by the UN Security Council. Beijing has stressed that “there are no winners in wars”for which reason he has appealed to all parties to “maintain rationality and moderation, not add fuel to the fire and not intensify conflicts.”

The international community must help all parties to the conflict to open the door to a political solution to the crisis as soon as possible.”

Likewise, it has asked Russia and Ukraine to meet and resume direct dialogue “as soon as possible”, as well as to gradually promote a de-escalation and a “relaxation” of the situation to reach a comprehensive ceasefire. After that, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry in its statement, both countries should start peace talks. “All efforts to resolve the crisis peacefully should be encouraged and supported. The international community must stick to the right direction of persuading peace and promote talks, help all parties to the conflict to open the door to a political solution to the crisis as soon as possible”, China has requested, which has shown itself willing to play “a constructive role” in this regard.

On the other hand, Beijing has encouraged opposing the strategic use and threats to use nuclear weapons, preventing nuclear profiling and averting a nuclear crisis. “Nuclear weapons cannot be used and nuclear war cannot be waged (…) We oppose the development and use of biological and chemical weapons by (part of) any country under any circumstances”, China has stated in the document that includes its twelve proposals. Likewise, it has called for maintaining the security of nuclear power plants in Ukraine, while it has opposed armed attacks against this type of facility.

“We call on all parties to respect nuclear safety conventions and other international laws, and resolutely avoid man-made nuclear accidents,” he said, while calling for support for the role of the International Atomic Energy Agency in promoting the safety of nuclear facilities. Among other measures, the Chinese government has also expressed the importance of resolving the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine under the umbrella of the United Nations, protect civilians and prisons of war, as well as guarantee the export of grains and ensure the stability of industrial and supply chains. However, Beijing has shown itself willing to provide assistance and play “a constructive role” in post-war reconstruction, reiterating its request to the international community to join this effort.

Chinese drones for Russia?

A constructive role that seems not to be fulfilled in reality, according to the information published in the last hours by the German newspaper ‘Der Spiegel’, which ensures that China is negotiating with Russia to supply up to 100 attack drones which could be delivered next April. After the United States has warned in recent weeks of the possibility of Beijing providing “lethal support” to Moscow in the context of the war, the Chinese drone manufacturer Xian Bingo Intelligent Aviation Technology would be negotiating the sale of kamikaze drones to the Kremlin . According to the reports to which the aforementioned newspaper has had access, Bingo has agreed to manufacture and test 100 ZT-180 drone prototypes before delivering them to the Russian Ministry of Defense in April 2023. Military experts believe that the ZT-180 are capable of carrying a warhead of 35 to 50 kilograms.

Also, the sources believe that the design of the unmanned aircraft could be similar to that of the Shaheed 136 kamikaze drone from Iranwhich have already been used by Russia in its invasion of Ukraine. In addition, Bingo would plan to deliver components and manufacturing instructions for the production of around 100 drones a month on its own, all while falsifying shipping documents to make the drone parts appear to be spare parts for civil aviation. . Previously, Secretary of State Antony Blinken explained in an interview with CBS that China already provides “non-lethal support” to Russia, but the latest information available to Washington suggests that it could provide “lethal support”, which which could have “serious consequences”, as he warned.

For its part, the Delegation of the European Union in Beijing has referred to the document published by the Chinese Foreign Ministry, noting that “it still takes time to analyze it”. And from the Ukrainian Embassy in Beijing, it has been described as “a positive sign” the publication of the Chinese document and there is the hope of “maintaining communication” with the Asian country. However, they have stated that they expect China to “play a more active role” and “urge Russia to stop the war”, adding that the conflict “has also affected relations” between Beijing and Kiev, citing as an example that “bilateral trade between the two countries fell by 50% in the last year due to the blockade of ports”. The embassy has also indicated that it has “no sign that China is preparing a talk” between its president, Xi Jinping, and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodimir Zelensky, something that has not happened since the war began, despite Xi Yes, he has had several talks with the Russian president.