The Russia-Ukraine conflict has so far caused the loss of tens of thousands of lives and destroyed billions of dollars worth of property. Not to mention the mental trauma that people on both sides are suffering as the crisis drags on. It is a consensus of the international community that this human catastrophe must be brought to an end as soon as possible.

Since the start of the crisis, China has been calling for a political settlement and pushing for peace talks. It has continuously called on parties to the conflict to engage in dialogue, so as to gradually de-escalate the situation before ultimately reaching a comprehensive and sustainable ceasefire. Its position on the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II remains consistent. It maintains that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be respected, the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter should be observed, the legitimate security concerns of all countries given due regard, and all efforts conducive to the peaceful settlement of the crisis should be supported.

It therefore welcomes all efforts dedicated to peace, including the recent agreement reached by the United States and Russia to set up a high-level team to support peace talks. The meeting between senior US and Russian delegations in Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday, at which that agreement was reached, marks a major step forward in efforts aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which will enter its fourth year next week.

The talks in Riyadh were built on a previous phone call between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which the two leaders agreed to work together toward a negotiated end to the crisis. This has enabled the two sides "to begin working on a path to ending the conflict in Ukraine as soon as possible in a way that is enduring, sustainable, and acceptable to all sides".

The evolving situation has proved that the 12-point proposal China put forward to promote a political settlement of the conflict in February 2023 is objective, fair and pragmatic. So it is natural that China welcomes the tentative rapprochement between the US and Russia, as it aligns with its own peace endeavors.

But there are growing concerns among European leaders and Ukrainian officials that they could be sidelined by the new US administration in any discussions about future peace in Ukraine as the US seems in a rush to get a deal done. It is to be hoped that the US is not just trading places; seeking an end to the crisis it has engineered in Europe so that it can concentrate on causing trouble in the Asia-Pacific.

In response to a question in a regular news conference about whether China is concerned that a peaceful resolution to the Ukraine issue will free up US military resources to further focus on the "Indo-Pacific" region, and whether China is concerned that might herald a more forceful rebalancing to Asia by the US, Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun stressed that the Asia-Pacific region is a high ground for the development of all countries and it should not become a chessboard for geopolitical confrontation.

If the world has learned anything from the past nearly four years of conflict, it should be that war benefits no one.

China has taken note of the concerns of European leaders. It believes a peace process without the participation of all relevant parties and stakeholders will not be sustainable. "As the conflict has been unfolding on European soil, it is imperative for Europe to work for peace," as Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the UN, said on Monday.

China hopes all parties can play a constructive role in accumulating the conditions to address the root causes of the crisis in Ukraine, and they will work together to establish a balanced, effective, and sustainable security framework for long-term peace and stability in Europe.