US, China call for defusing Ukraine crisis

De-escalation, diplomacy way forward, all sides must stay calm, avoid stimulating tensions, say top US, Chinese diplomats

Top diplomats of the US and China discussed the rising tensions between Ukraine and Russia, emphasizing the need for steps to defuse the increasingly volatile situation.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken underscored in his conversation with China’s State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi the “global security and economic risks posed by further Russian aggression against Ukraine,” the US State Department said in a brief statement.

“De-escalation and diplomacy are the responsible way forward,” Blinken added.

The two also discussed “how to advance work together” following the virtual meeting between US President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in November last year.

– ‘Security of one country cannot be at the expense of others’

According to China’s Foreign Ministry, Wang told Blinken that the “Cold War mentality” needs to be abandoned.

“To solve the Ukrainian issue, it is still necessary to return to the original point of the New Minsk Agreement … it is a fundamental political document recognized by all parties and should be effectively implemented,” he said.

He called for “all parties to remain calm and refrain from doing things that stimulate tension and hype up the crisis.”

“The security of one country cannot be at the expense of the security of other countries, and regional security cannot be guaranteed by strengthening or even expanding military blocs,” Wang asserted.

He urged Blinken to “form a balanced, effective and sustainable European security mechanism through negotiations, and Russia’s reasonable security concerns should be taken seriously and resolved.”