MUNICH — Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Saturday urged greater European involvement in negotiations to end the Russia-Ukraine war, saying the continent should be “not on the menu” but “at the table.”Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Wang said Europe should not remain on the sidelines as diplomatic efforts move forward.“Europe should not watch this from the sidelines,” he said.“Europe has every right to participate in the negotiation in due course. Europe should not be on the menu, but should be at the table.”He noted that the United States had previously engaged Russia in talks while Europe appeared to be left out, and called on European leaders to show “courage to talk with Russia” and to present new ideas and plans.Wang described China as not directly involved in the conflict but supportive of dialogue. “China is not a party directly involved,” he said, adding that Beijing promotes negotiations aimed at peace.The US, Russia and Ukraine are currently engaged in trilateral dialogue to try to end the war that began in February 2022, a process Wang said he welcomed.Turning to China-EU relations, Wang said the European Union and China are “partners who are not systemic rivals or strategic competitors.”“We acknowledge that there are differences and divergences between us, but that doesn’t mean that we couldn’t reach better harmony,” he said.He called on both sides to practice multilateralism, safeguard the authority of the United Nations, oppose unilateral actions and defend free trade.Wang also praised the role of the United Nations, saying that without it, “many medium and small sized countries would lose the multilateral foundation critical to their survival and development.”He blamed certain unnamed countries for magnifying differences and weakening the international system.On the Middle East, Wang said achieving a ceasefire in Gaza and reconstruction would require sustained efforts to implement a two-state solution, adding that restoring justice to the Palestinian people is a responsibility of the international community.He also said developments in Iran have a direct impact on regional stability.Addressing US-China relations, Wang said there are “two roads ahead.” One path involves mutual understanding and pragmatic cooperation that would benefit both countries and the world.The other, he warned, involves decoupling supply chains and opposing China “in a purely emotional knee-jerk way,” including efforts related to Taiwan.Such a path, he said, “would very much likely push China and the US toward conflict.”China hopes for the first scenario, Wang added, but is prepared to handle various risks.
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