On the morning of March 10, Zhou Bo, Research Fellow of the Center for International Security and Strategy (CISS) and expert of China Forum at Tsinghua University, and Shi Yan and Wen Jing, Research Associates of CISS, met with Mike Blackburn, Defence Attaché and Air Commodore, Ben Leibowitz, Second Secretary, and Jiang Yang, Chinese Secretary, from the British Embassy Beijing. Both sides conducted in-depth and candid exchanges on international security and China’s stance against the backdrop of the Ukraine crisis, NATO and European security, China-UK relations, China-Russia relations, China-US relations, Taiwan question, and other issues.

According to Zhou Bo, China has declared itself neutral in the Ukraine crisis and refrained from adding fuel to the fire or taking sides. The Chinese government respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, and seeks to figure out the historical factors of this issue. General Secretary Xi Jinping has also repeatedly expressed his opposition against using or threatening to use nuclear weapons in Europe. Besides, China has issued the China’s Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis and continued to take a constructive attitude in war mediation, making great contributions in this regard. In today’s increasingly divided world, China is capable of giving play to its role as a bridge between Russia and the West, since it is a beneficiary of the existing international order and certainly its constructor and defender. In addition, the world’s attention to and expectations on China will also encourage it to play a more constructive and active part in resolving the Ukraine crisis in future.