Special Representative of the Chinese Government on Eurasian Affairs Li Hui (center) holds a briefing on August 27, 2024 on the fourth round of shuttle diplomacy on the Ukraine crisis. Photo: Chinese Foreign Ministry

Certain countries are taking advantage of the Russia-Ukraine crisis to fabricate the "China responsibility theory" and use illegal unilateral sanctions to threaten countries that engage in normal trade with Russia, which are unacceptable for the international community, Special Representative of the Chinese Government on Eurasian Affairs Li Hui said on Tuesday during a press briefing about the fourth round of shuttle diplomacy on the Ukraine crisis. 

Li briefed on the in-depth exchanges with all parties during his visits to Brazil, South Africa and Indonesia between July 28 and August 7 on the current situation of the Ukraine crisis, efforts to cool the situation, and the next phase of the peace talks process. 

In terms of the background and reasons for the visit to the three countries, Li said that the international community is widely concerned about further escalation and spillover of the Ukraine crisis. More and more countries believe that the urgent priority is to de-escalate the situation. 

According to Li, the three countries are representatives of the Global South and serve as important forces in promoting world peace and development. The three countries' position on the Ukraine crisis corresponds to that of China, and they maintain communication with both Russia and Ukraine. They uphold an objective and fair stance and are committed to resolving the issue through political dialogue and negotiation. 

According to Li, there is widespread concern about the risk of escalation and spillover of the Ukraine crisis, as well as the deeper causes of the prolonged crisis. All parties believe that the prolonged crisis not only rests on Russia and Ukraine; the conflict is manipulated by the global war system represented by certain military-industrial complexes. 

Li said all parties agree with China's view that certain countries are taking advantage of the crisis to rally allies, shift the blame, and are even attempting to fabricate the "China responsibility theory." These countries also use illegal unilateral sanctions to threaten countries that engage in normal trade with Russia. The words and actions of these countries are entirely out of selfish interests and distorting the truth, which will never be accepted by the international community. 

China and Brazil jointly issued the six common understandings on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis in May, calling on all relevant parties to observe three principles for de-escalating the situation. 

According to Li, all three countries highly praised the significance of the six common understandings, believing it provides a valuable path to promote a resolution to the crisis.