China denies pressuring other countries to avoid Ukraine peace summit

BEIJING – China on June 3 denied accusations by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that it was trying to prevent other nations from attending a planned peace summit on the war in Ukraine.

Speaking on June 2 at a security forum in Singapore,

Mr Zelensky accused Beijing

of “working hard today to prevent countries from coming to the peace summit” due to be hosted by Switzerland in June.

Ukraine hopes the gathering will help it win broad international backing for its vision of the terms needed to end Russia’s invasion.

But China criticised the conference last week, saying it would be

“difficult” for it to attend if ally Russia did not participate.

Beijing’s Foreign Ministry said on June 3 that “China’s position is open and transparent, and there is absolutely no instance of us putting pressure on other countries”.

“On peace talks, China’s position is fair and just. It does not target any third country, and, of course, is not aimed at Switzerland’s hosting of this summit for peace,” spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a regular news briefing.

China “believes that all efforts conducive to the peaceful resolution of the crisis should be supported”, she added.

Beijing insists

it is a neutral party

on the war in Ukraine, but has also faced sharp criticism from the West over its strategic partnership with Russia.

The United States has charged

that China, while not directly sending weapons to Russia, has supported Moscow’s largest defence industry expansion since Soviet times.

Russian President Vladimir Putin was in China in April, where he sought greater Chinese backing for his war effort and

signed a joint statement with China’s leader Xi Jinping

on deepening their countries’ strategic partnership.

Peace summit

On June 2, Mr Zelensky said more than 100 countries and organisations had signed up to the peace conference in Switzerland so far.

After Singapore, the Ukrainian leader flew to Manila

for a meeting with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr

on June 3 as he continued to push for the peace summit.

Mr Zelensky told Mr Marcos that the Philippines’ agreement to participate in the conference would send a “very strong signal”, according to a transcript of their remarks released by Manila.

During their meeting at the presidential palace, Mr Zelensky also asked Mr Marcos to send Filipino mental health workers to help Ukrainian troops.

“That is something that I think we are able to offer,” Mr Marcos said.

Underscoring their warm ties, Mr Zelensky said Ukraine would open an embassy in Manila in 2024. AFP