China Urges Sides In Ukrainian Conflict To Focus On Diplomatic Solution - Foreign Ministry

BEIJING (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 27th March, 2023) Beijing believes all parties to the Ukrainian conflict must focus on a diplomatic solution and must never wage a nuclear war, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Monday, following Russia's decision to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.

"In January last year, the leaders of the five nuclear-weapon states released a joint statement, in which they affirmed that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought and stressed the importance of the avoidance of war between nuclear-weapon states and the reduction of strategic risks," Mao told a briefing, stressing that all parties "need to focus on making diplomatic efforts towards a peaceful settlement of the Ukraine crisis and work together for deescalation."

On Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Moscow and Minsk had agreed to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus without violating international commitments, adding that the United States had long stationed its tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of its allies and NATO countries in Europe. The construction of the weapons storage facility in Belarus will be completed on July 1, Putin said.

On January 3, 2022, China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States issued a joint statement on preventing nuclear war and avoiding arms races. The five nuclear weapon states affirmed, among other things, the importance of addressing nuclear threats, and emphasized the importance of preserving and complying with their bilateral and multilateral non-proliferation, disarmament, and arms control agreements and commitments.