Chinese peace proposal

A year into the Russian invasion of Ukraine, China proposed a peace plan for dealing with the war. The 12-point document is part of Beijing’s latest efforts to present itself as a neutral peace broker, although it looks more like a political game rather than a real effort to stop the war 8 .

In Point 1, Beijing calls for the uniform application of international law in respecting the sovereignty of all countries. China has not condemned the war in Ukraine or explicitly called it an invasion. In Point 2, the Chinese government urges Western states to abandon the Cold War era mentality while taking aim at military bloc expansion in a scathing criticism of Western aid to Ukraine. China’s propaganda narrative portrays Western aid for Ukraine as aggressive actions towards Russia that further escalate the conflict. The Chinese government hints at its support for Russia, claiming that any security concerns should be tackled seriously.

In Points 3 and 4, Beijing argues that all parties should cease hostilities and foster conditions that enable the resumption of ceasefire negotiations, respectively. Since the beginning of the war, China depicted the Russian aggression as a conflict between two states, urging them to cease hostilities while ignoring the mere fact that Russia invaded Ukraine. China yet did not condemn the war in Ukraine or called it an invasion. With the next two points of the peace plan, China calls upon the parties to prioritize humanitarian operations and abide by international law, avoiding attacks on civilian facilities or personnel and giving humane treatment to prisoners of war.

In Points 7 and 8, the Chinese government advocated for all parties to comply with nuclear security. Beijing withstood any attacks on nuclear plants or other civilian facilities while urging all parties to comply with the 1994 Convention on Nuclear Safety and avoid manmade nuclear disasters. They declare that employment of nuclear weapons must be off the table, brushing aside strategic risks. China opposed any threats to deploy nuclear weapons while urging all parties to avoid nuclear disasters. While hinting at any nuclear issues, China meant Russia as it is vital for China to make Moscow take back its nuclear threats.

In Points 9 and 11, China urged all parties to facilitate grain exports to foster global food security and keep supply chains stable to prevent it from disrupting international cooperation in energy, finance, food trade, and transportation and undermining the global economic recovery. Beijing also proposed to launch the Black Sea Grain Initiative to unlock grain supplies to the Middle East and Africa. In Point 10, Beijing asserted that unilateral sanctions and maximum pressure cannot solve the issue, insinuating that such measures were escalating the conflict. Last but not least, China stood ready to provide assistance and play a constructive role in the post-conflict reconstruction of Ukraine.

The Chinese propaganda attempts to help resolve the Ukraine war via the 12-point plan for negotiations have been met with hostility from Ukraine and its Western allies. The Chinese government rejects what it named a “Cold War mentality”, hoping the West stops sending aid to Ukraine and eases sanctions on Russia.