South African President has spoken to and received support from Chinese President for African peace initiative on Ukraine conflict
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has informed Chinese President Xi Jinping about an upcoming trip by a group of African leaders to Russia and Ukraine to end the conflict, the South African presidency said on June 10.
"President Xi endorsed the African initiative and understood that the conflict had affected people's lives and food security on the continent," according to the South African president's office.
Chinese media reported that President Xi and President Ramaphosa had a phone call on June 9. The two sides exchanged views on the Ukraine crisis. Xi welcomed the African delegation to mediate the conflict and reaffirmed China's position on promoting peace talks.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at a press conference in Pretoria on June 6. Photo: AFP
In May, Mr. Ramaphosa announced that Africa would form a peace delegation consisting of the presidents of six countries: Zambia, Senegal, the Republic of Congo, Uganda, Egypt and South Africa. The president of Comoros, which holds the chair of the African Union (AU), later announced that he would join the delegation.
According to Mr. Ramaphosa, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have both agreed to receive the African delegation. The delegation plans to begin its mission to mediate the Russia-Ukraine conflict "in mid-June."
China has previously sent special envoys to Ukraine, Russia and several European countries to push for a political solution to the conflict, but they have failed to produce any diplomatic breakthroughs. At a press conference in early June, the Chinese envoy said the risk of the Ukraine crisis escalating remained high, but he believed the parties involved had not completely closed the door to negotiations.
China in February released a 12-point peace plan for the Ukraine crisis, which called for de-escalation and a ceasefire. The US rejected the proposal, as China refused to condemn Russia and argued that a ceasefire would give the Russian military more time to regroup.
Nhu Tam (According to Reuters, CGTN )
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