December 29, 2023
Ambassador Geng Shuang said that the Ukraine crisis — “dragging on all the way to this date” — has been interspersed with grievous attacks, exacted heavy casualties on innocent civilians and destroyed infrastructure. Noting that his country has repeatedly called for restraint, respect for international law and the protection of civilians, he emphasized:
“Today, I would like to repeat those calls.”
There can be no military solution to this crisis, and he urged the parties to respond positively to the international community’s appeal for peace, enhancement their engagement and expand common ground “to put out the flames of war” as soon as possible.
Further, he called on the international community to ramp up diplomatic mediation and contribute positively to a political solution, and in parallel, to work together to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.
China’s position has not changed, he added, underscoring that his country did, does and will stand on the side of peace and dialogue.