Wang Yi urges calm on Ukraine issue in phone call with Antony Blinken

Wang, according to Chinese state media, urged all sides to cast aside the Cold War mentality and address Russia’s ‘reasonable’ security concerns on the issue.

Chinese state councillor and foreign minister Wang Yi on Thursday urged all parties involved in the Ukraine crisis to remain calm and not hype up the tension, in a phone call with US secretary of state Antony Blinken.

A Strela-10 anti-aircraft missile system of the Ukrainian Armed Forces fires during anti-aircraft military drills in Volyn Region, Ukraine. Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi has urged all parties involved in the Ukraine crisis to remain calm and not hype up the tension, in a phone call with US secretary of state Antony Blinken. (REUTERS)

One country’s security cannot be at the expense of the security of other countries, and regional security cannot be guaranteed by strengthening or even expanding military blocs, Wang told Blinken.

Wang, according to Chinese state media, urged all sides to cast aside the Cold War mentality and address Russia’s “reasonable” security concerns on the issue.

Moscow has said it wants Nato to pull back troops and weapons from eastern Europe and bar its neighbour Ukraine, a former Soviet state, from ever joining.

Washington and its Nato allies reject that position, but say they are ready to discuss topics such as arms control and confidence-building measures.

Blinken, according to a readout from the US state Department, underscored the “…global security and economic risks posed by further Russian aggression against Ukraine and conveyed that de-escalation and diplomacy are the responsible way forward”.

On China-US ties, Wang told Blinken: “The top priority at the moment is that the US should stop interfering with the Beijing Winter Olympics, stop playing cards with fire on the Taiwan issue, and stop creating various anti-China ‘small circles’.”

Blinken, according to Chinese media, told Wang that the US and China have both overlapping interests and differences, and the US is willing to manage differences in a responsible manner.

The one-China policy of the US has not changed, Blinken said, adding, on the upcoming Winter Olympics, that the US will cheer for American athletes participating in the Beijing Games.