Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at [email protected] or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification As part of China’s attempts to assert itself as a global peacemaker, it has intensified its efforts in the direction of Ukraine. The fourth round of
shuttle diplomacy by Li Hui, China’s special envoy for Eurasian affairs, encompassed Brazil, South Africa and Indonesia, seeking to secure the support of countries in the Global South for its stance on resolving the crisis in Ukraine.
Zhou Bo, a senior fellow at Tsinghua University’s Centre for International Security and Strategy, has suggested that China can facilitate the organisation of a second peace summit with the participation of Russia, be part of a collective security guarantee for the Ukrainian territory that will remain under Kyiv’s control, and help with the restoration of Ukraine’s infrastructure (“In Ukraine and Gaza, China’s great power comes with great responsibility”,
August 9).
Hao Nan, a research fellow with the Charhar Institute, believes that China’s participation in the negotiations regarding Ukraine is not necessarily aimed at an open resolution of the conflict (“More to China’s role in Ukraine peace efforts than meets the eye”,
September 2). According to him, Beijing’s deeper strategic calculation is that by positioning itself as a mediator in the war in Ukraine, it not only strengthens its global position, but also creates opportunities to advance its own economic and geopolitical interests.
As a Ukrainian citizen, I simply cannot leave such arguments unanswered. Kyiv will not allow another country to use Ukraine as a tool to strengthen its own influence.
In order for Ukraine to perceive China not only as a global peacemaker, but also as a friend, Beijing should realise that Ukraine is an independent country with its own history and culture and determines its own development path. Russia’s violation of Ukraine’s internationally recognised borders is an act of aggression that violates the UN Charter.
The UN Charter does not have a provision on zones of influence of large countries, the perceived violation of which gives a large country permission to forcefully seize a territory it deems unruly.
