[Photo/CFP]

Political settlement of Ukraine crisis supported by developing nations

South African Ambassador to China Siyabonga Cwele has praised China's efforts to mediate the conflict between Russia and Ukraine to advance the political settlement of the crisis, saying China, as a peacemaker, is supported by developing countries and peace-loving people.

Cwele made the remarks in Beijing during an interview with a group of Chinese media on Thursday, one day after President Xi Jinping spoke by phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

During their talk, Xi reiterated the country's commitment to promoting peace talks regarding the Ukraine crisis, and said China will send a special representative of Eurasian affairs to visit Ukraine and other countries. The international community responded positively to the phonecall.

"We commend China, in particular, President Xi Jinping's efforts to stop the conflict in Europe. The conflict between Ukraine and Russia is causing untold harm to ordinary people from both sides," Cwele said. "(The conflict) is killing people, destroying infrastructure, disrupting global supplies and affecting other countries."

China issued a position paper on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis in February. During his meetings with foreign leaders who have visited China in recent months, including French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Xi also emphasized the need to facilitate peace talks to end the conflict.

Cwele said that the conflict couldn't be ended unless parties concerned could sit around the table, talk to each other and listen to each other's concerns to find a solution.

"In situations like that, you need someone who has got no personal interests to help discuss and come together to find a solution. And that's why the efforts by his excellency, President Xi Jinping, are highly welcomed," said the ambassador.

China-Africa relations

During the interview, the South African diplomat also spoke positively about the development of relations between China and South Africa.

"Our relations with China are unique in one way. It is a relationship which is based on mutual benefit, unlike the relationship with our former friends or colonizers who tend to impose their own values on our value or systems," he said. "Our relationship with China is of 'we grow together'. It's not where 'I extract from you'. "

The ambassador hailed the progress made in projects under the framework of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.

"My president (Cyril) Ramaphosa and President Xi Jinping have been stressing we must move away from just broad political agreement. They encourage us to have concrete projects on the ground, from which you have material benefits to the people."

Cwele talked about China's assistance to Africa in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in terms of providing vaccines and medical supplies, saying that without the Chinese aid, "our African brothers and sisters would remain exposed to the deadly virus".

"That's the benefit of what happened in our relations with China. We don't feel we were colonized. There's another narrative which comes from other countries that there's some form of neocolonialism which is being practiced. And we don't see that as we are seeing mutually beneficial relations between Africa and China," he added.