Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi Photo:Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Related parties to the Ukraine crisis should return to the Minsk Agreement, lay out a road map and schedule to solve the problem rather than hyping war and creating panic, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi stressed when attending the Munich Security Conference on Saturday.   

At the conference, Wang commented on the expansion of NATO, security in Europe and the Ukraine tensions in response to questions raised by MSC Chairman Wolfgang Ischinger during the session, according to CGTN.

As a product of the Cold War, which has ended long ago, NATO should make necessary adjustments, said the Chinese diplomat. "If NATO keeps expanding eastward, is it conducive to maintaining peace and stability in Europe?" Wang asked. 

He reiterated China's stance that all countries' sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity should be respected and safeguarded, adding that Ukraine is no exception to the principle. 

He urged relevant sides to adhere to the Minsk II agreement reached in 2015 and work out a roadmap and timetable to implement the deal. 

All sides need to "shoulder their responsibilities and work for peace" rather than hyping up tensions and sensationalizing the risk of war, he said. 

All sides can raise their concerns on security in Europe, and Russia's legitimate security concerns should be respected, he added.

Wang also noted that Ukraine should be a bridge connecting the West and the East instead of a frontier of confrontations of major powers.

Wang's remarks once again made it clear to the international community that China's approach to the Ukraine crisis is to promote reconciliation, instead of adding fuel to the fire or inclined to one side. We are committed to promoting a constructive and responsible position by all parties involved in the Ukraine crisis, and truly contributing to a lasting peace in broader Europe. We hope that all parties involved in the Ukrainian crisis will reach a consensus to resolve conflicts, Li Haidong, a professor from the Institute of International Relations of China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Saturday. 

Wang's remarks came amid Washington's continuous hyping of Russia's so-called potential invasion into Ukraine. US President Joe Biden said Thursday that the information he got now indicated that Russia was preparing to invade and attack Ukraine and a war was possibly going to happen in the next couple of days.  

Russian Army Western Military District tank units wait to be loaded on a troop train on February 18, 2022, as they return from recent routine drills to permanent deployment sites in Novgorod. Russia announced a withdrawal of drill troops on February 15 amid the Ukraine crisis. Photo: VCG

Previously, the US also claimed that Russia planned to attack Ukraine on February 16, 2022. However, that day passed peacefully with the recent partial pullback of Russian troops from some border areas, although Washington and NATO said they did not see the pullback and are insistent on their claims of imminent war to prevent an easing of tensions.

Because of the repeated incitements by the US and NATO, it is possible a large-scale civil war may break out in Ukraine, Li said.

Ukraine affairs should be left to the Ukrainians, but the external forces, especially the US and the NATO, have interfered in Ukraine's internal affairs, said Li. 

Minsk agreements are about how Ukraine's internal problems can be constructively resolved as well as on how Ukraine can no longer be the trigger for another geopolitical crisis in Europe, said Li. 

Instead of treating Ukraine as a country worthy of respect, the US has exploited the country as a pawn in its geopolitical competition with Russia. This is the root cause of the tragedy in Ukraine, experts noted. 

Observers pointed out that Russia maintained its strategic composure in dealing with this highly sensitive issue despite some Western politicians spouting war rhetoric to hype war risks and media disinformation.

Amid tension with the West over the Ukraine issue, Russian leader Vladimir Putin on Saturday oversaw strategic nuclear exercises involving the launch of hypersonic ballistic missiles and other weapons.

Wang also talked about issues related to China's Xinjiang region at the Saturday conference.

There has never been so-called systematic "forced labor" in Xinjiang, nor so-called "reeducation camp", which are made-up misinformation and lies, he said.

China welcomes UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet to visit Xinjiang and China is working on the schedule with Bachelet's office, he said.