Whether China benefits from dragging out war in Ukraine - Japanese Ambassador's comment
Ambassador of Japan Matsuda Kuninori (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
The escalation of Russia's large-scale war against Ukraine is unlikely to align with China's interests, as the destabilization of the international situation creates a challenging scenario for Beijing, hindering its focus on economic development in the country, according to the Japanese Ambassador to Ukraine, Matsuda Kuninori, in an interview with RBC-Ukraine.
Ambassador Kuninori expressed doubts about China genuinely desiring a prolonged full-scale military aggression by Russia against Ukraine.
"China, like many countries, benefits from the stable international environment in which China, first and foremost, can concentrate on economic development and growing prosperity. Prolonged war creates a difficult situation for China," Kuninori said.
While noting that he has never directly communicated with Chinese leaders, Ambassador Kuninori, based on various published materials, believes that Beijing wishes for a swift resolution to the conflict.
"We remember that China published 12- point peace plan last year. I note that these 12 points do not include the most important thing, that is, the withdrawal of the Russian troops from the Ukrainian territory in its international recognized borders in 1991, including Crimea," he said.
The Japanese ambassador reminded that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy considered China's 12-point plan unacceptable unless it includes the withdrawal of Russian troops beyond the country's internationally recognized borders.
"And we fully understand and support this view," commented Kuninori, adding that China, as one of Russia's neighbors and a permanent member of the UN Security Council, could take more responsible measures in this war.
China's stance on the Russia-Ukraine war
Officially, the Chinese government claims to maintain a neutral position on Russia's large-scale war against Ukraine. Earlier suspicions of China supplying weapons to Russia have been refuted by Beijing. However, a recent Pentagon report revealed that Russia is extensively procuring drones, firearms, and protective equipment from China.
China expressed a willingness to act as a peacemaker and proposed its peace plan for Ukraine, but Ukrainian authorities criticized it. In October, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, Oleksii Danilov, rejected the possibility of a ceasefire in Ukraine through Chinese mediation.
Recently, the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andrii Yermak, said that communication between Ukraine and China is challenging, but efforts are being made to improve relations and organize a meeting between the two presidents.
