KAZAN: Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday (Oct 23) that there should be “no escalation of fighting” in Ukraine as he addressed leaders of the BRICS group of emerging economies, including his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin .
Around 20 world leaders are meeting in the central city of Kazan, the largest diplomatic forum in Russia since Putin ordered troops into Ukraine in 2022.
Beijing claims to be a neutral party in the conflict, but has been heavily criticized by Western powers for providing Moscow – a long-time ally – with diplomatic and economic support.
“The Ukrainian crisis drags on… We must respect the three principles “no spillover from the battlefield, no escalation of fighting and no fuel to the fire from the parties concerned”, in order to calm the situation as quickly as possible,” Xi said on Wednesday.
At the same time, China has always been sympathetic to the Palestinian cause, and Xi reiterated Beijing’s position of “pushing for a ceasefire” in Gaza as soon as possible.
“The conflict between relevant parties is further intensifying,” Xi said.
“We must (…) stop the massacres and work tirelessly for a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the Palestinian question.”
