BEIJING, March 1 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a phone conversation at request with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Tuesday.
Kuleba briefed Wang about the first round of Ukraine-Russia talks, saying that the end of the fighting is the top priority for Ukraine.
Ukraine stays open to a negotiated settlement to the current issue and treats the talks with Russia with positive sincerity, said Kuleba, adding that despite current difficulties, the Ukrainian side remains calm and willing to push forward the talks.
China has played a constructive role in the Ukrainian issue, said Kuleba, mentioning that Ukraine stands ready to strengthen communication with the Chinese side and looks forward to China's mediation in achieving a ceasefire.
Wang said that the situation in Ukraine has changed rapidly, and that China laments the outbreak of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia and is extremely concerned with the harm to civilians.
China's basic position on the Ukrainian issue is open, transparent and consistent, said Wang, noting that China always stands for respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries.
Regarding the current crisis, China calls on Ukraine and Russia to find a solution to the issue through negotiations, and supports all constructive international efforts conducive to a political settlement, said Wang.
China always believes that one country's security cannot be at the expense of others' security, and security of one region cannot be achieved by expanding military blocs, Wang stressed.
As the fighting continues to expand, the top priority is to ease the situation as much as possible to prevent the conflict from escalating or even getting out of control, especially to prevent the harm to civilians as well as a humanitarian crisis, and to ensure the safe and timely access of humanitarian aid, he said.
Wang elaborated on China's position with regard to ensuring the safety of Chinese nationals in Ukraine and urged the Ukrainian side to assume corresponding international responsibilities.
The Chinese government attaches great importance to the safety of Chinese nationals in Ukraine and cares about their safety every moment, Wang noted, adding that all Chinese nationals in Ukraine are envoys of China-Ukraine friendship and friends of the Ukrainian people.
The process of evacuating overseas Chinese and students from Ukraine is underway, Wang said, expressing gratitude to the Ukrainian side for support, cooperation and help from the Ukrainian government and society.
China appreciates Ukraine's launch of special evacuation trains for foreign nationals, which is in line with the international humanitarian spirit, Wang said.
Wang said he hopes the Ukrainian side will take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of Chinese nationals in Ukraine and continue to provide guarantee and facilitation for their evacuation.
Kuleba said that it is an important duty for Ukraine to ensure the safety of foreign nationals, and that Ukraine pays great attention to China's concerns and is assisting Chinese students and nationals to evacuate smoothly.
Ukraine will continue to ensure the safe evacuation of foreign nationals responsibly, Kuleba added. ■
