China Hopes Japan Will Help Settle Ukraine Crisis - Foreign Ministry

BEIJING (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st March, 2023) Beijing hopes that Tokyo will facilitate the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis and not escalate it, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on Tuesday while commenting on the upcoming visit of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to Ukraine.

Kishida is scheduled to travel to Ukraine later on Tuesday, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said. During his visit, the Japanese prime minister will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kiev.

"The international community should firmly stick to the right direction towards reconciliation and promotion of negotiations, as well as establishing conditions for political settlement of the Ukraine crisis.

We hope that Japan will do more for the deescalation and not the contrary," Wang said.

So far, Kishida has been the only head of a G7 member state, who has not met Zelenskyy in person.

After visiting Ukraine, the Japanese prime minister will also head to Warsaw on March 22 to meet with representatives of the Polish government, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said.