On Thursday, China expressed its pleasure at the strengthening of ties between the United States and Russia, following US President Donald Trump's announcement of his intention to meet with his Russian counterpart for peace talks regarding Ukraine.
Trump stated that he had a "lengthy and very productive" conversation with Vladimir Putin on Wednesday — their first confirmed interaction since he took office again — and agreed to "immediately" start talks to end the conflict.
"Russia and the United States are major influential countries. China is pleased to see that Russia and the US are strengthening their connections and dialogues on various international issues," said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang at a press briefing.
On Thursday, citing unnamed sources in Beijing and Washington, the Wall Street Journal reported that Chinese officials recently reached out to the US administration through intermediaries to propose a summit between Trump and Putin.
This proposal allegedly would "facilitate peace efforts following a potential ceasefire," but, as noted by the American newspaper, did not include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The report indicates that a White House official dismissed the Beijing proposal as "absolutely unworkable." In response to questions about this report during a press briefing, Geng stated that he had no additional information to provide.
China and Russia, long-time socialist allies with a tumultuous history, have grown closer in recent years in diplomatic, military, and economic fields.
Since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Beijing has attempted to portray itself as a neutral party in the conflict.
Western nations, including the US, have supported Ukraine and criticized China's refusal to condemn Russia, but Trump's return to power raises questions about Washington's stance.
Geng stated on Thursday that "China has always believed that dialogue and negotiations are the only viable way to resolve the crisis in Ukraine and has consistently been committed to promoting peace talks."