For the first time in two years, China is holding a virtual meeting with the EU. EU and Chinese envoys sit down to discuss whether Ukraine will help Russia in the war with arms, putting pressure on Beijing.
EU officials say any aid to Russia could damage China’s international reputation and strain relations with Europe and the United States, the country’s largest trading partners.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang attended the virtual talks with European Commission and European Council President Ursula von der Leyen, Charles Michel and EU foreign policy chief Joseph Borel.
Earlier, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called on all parties to engage in effective peace talks to end the war. Wang Yi, an expert on the Ukraine-Russia situation at Beijing Renmin University, said both the EU and China wanted an end to the war in Ukraine.
Western nations, including the United States, have been pressuring Moscow not to cooperate militarily or in any other way in the Ukraine war. Recently, US President Joe Biden warned Chinese President Xi Jinping that Beijing would suffer if it helped Russia.
