Ukraine crisis linked to NATO expansion, says Chinese ambassador

China's president Xi Jinping met Vladimir Putin in Moscow in March 2023. Its ambassador to Bern says China has good relations with both sides in the Ukraine conflict. Sputnik

Chinese ambassador to Switzerland Wang Shihting says the crisis in Ukraine is linked to NATO’s expansion eastwards since the Cold War.

The crisis, which Shihting does not call a war, derives from a “deep historical context” and “complex reasons”, he said in an interview on FridayExternal link with Swiss public broadcaster, RTS. He puts the blame on both sides and defence alliance NATO.

“We believe that the security concerns of all countries must be taken seriously. It is undeniable that the crisis in Ukraine is closely linked to the steady expansion of NATO to the east since the Cold War,” he told RTS. “We hope that the various parties will learn profound lessons from the Ukrainian crisis and seek together, through dialogue, a way to ensure Europe’s long-term security and stability.”

China insists on the sovereignty and integrity of all countries involved in the Ukraine crisis, he told RTS. “We are always on the side of peace and our main mission is to promote peace talks.”

He said China was “disinterested and impartial” and had good relations with both Russia and Ukraine. “Our communication with both countries has always been smooth since the beginning of the crisis,” the diplomat added.

As RTS points out, he did not use the words war or invasion, and China opposes any sanctions against Russia, which it says are counter-productive and do not help peace.

Declining to comment on Switzerland’s position on the Ukraine war, Shihting nevertheless pointed out that Switzerland was applying sanctions on Russia. “I think that any neutral state should ask itself constantly whether what it’s doing is in conformity with its neutrality and really contributes to de-escalate the situation in Ukraine,” he told RTS.

On Thursday, the Chinese embassy in Bern rebuked Switzerland’s parliament for “grossly interfering” in Chinese affairs over a vote to deepen relations with Taiwan.