SINGAPORE—China’s top diplomat assured Russia that Beijing hasn’t wavered in its stance on the Ukraine war, right after a Chinese envoy joined a multilateral forum—which excluded Moscow—to discuss ways to end the conflict. The two ministers also discussed the Ukraine war, but neither readouts directly mentioned a weekend diplomatic gathering in Saudi Arabia, where China played what the U.S. later said was a productive role in discussing possible paths to peace in Ukraine. Even so, Wang’s comments included an apparent reference to the Jeddah meeting that sought to reassure Moscow about China’s position on the war. China was represented in Jeddah by Li Hui, Beijing’s peace envoy for the Ukraine war. At the Jeddah meeting, the Chinese delegation presented Beijing’s 12-point position paper—first published in February—that called for a cease-fire in Ukraine and peace talks to end the war, the Journal reported.

Source: Wall Street Journal August 08, 2023 13:18 UTC