China reacts to Russia’s massive strike on Kyiv: calls for avoiding escalation and creating conditions for negotiations
28 August 2025 22:47
After a nine-hour night attack by Russian troops on Kyiv that killed at least 15 people and caused significant damage, China called for “creating conditions for a political settlement of the conflict.”
The government’s position was voiced at a briefing on August 28 by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports, citing Ukrinform.
“We call on all parties involved to adhere to three principles: to prevent the conflict from spreading, to avoid military escalation, and to refrain from actions that provoke an increase in tension,” the diplomat said.
According to him, this approach will allow “to reduce the level of escalation and create conditions for a political settlement of the crisis.”
Guo emphasized that Beijing’s position remains “consistent and unequivocal” – the Chinese Foreign Ministry is convinced that negotiations are the “only effective way” to resolve the war.
A massive strike on Kyiv
On the night of August 28, Russia launched a combined attack on the capital that lasted more than nine hours.
- At least 15 people were killed and dozens were wounded, according to the KCNA.
- Residential high-rise buildings, a kindergarten, a university, a post office, office buildings, warehouses, and transportation infrastructure were damaged.
- Large-scale destruction was reported in five districts of the capital, with eyewitnesses reporting fires and explosions.
Context
Despite public statements of “neutrality,” China maintains close economic and diplomatic contacts with Russia. Beijing
- does not call Moscow an aggressor and avoids defining Ukraine as a victim;
- regularly maintains high-level dialog with the Kremlin;
- provides Russia with critical economic assistance, ranging from energy trade to the supply of technologies used in the military sphere;
- does not respond to the numerous crimes committed by the Russian army against Ukrainian civilians.
Earlier, China presented a 12-point “peace plan” that envisages negotiations without setting conditions for the aggressor. However, the document did not find support in Ukraine and among its partners due to the lack of a demand for the withdrawal of Russian troops.
Since the beginning of the full-scale war, China has taken a public position of “neutrality,” but in fact has demonstrated its commitment to Russia.
- February 2023 – Beijing unveils a 12-point “peace plan”. It called for a ceasefire and the resumption of negotiations, but did not demand the withdrawal of Russian troops from the occupied territories.
- June 2023 – after the destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant, the Chinese Foreign Ministry called on “all parties to avoid escalation” and refrain from criticizing Russia’s actions.
- February 2024 – during Vladimir Putin’s visit to Beijing, China reaffirmed its readiness to deepen economic cooperation with Russia, particularly in the energy and technology sectors.
- March 2025 – after the massive shelling of Kharkiv, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson reiterated that “dialogue and negotiations” remained the only way to resolve the conflict, without naming the perpetrator of the attack.
- August 2025 – Amid the largest attack on Kyiv in recent months, China repeated its calls for “creating conditions for a political settlement.”
Analysts emphasize: Beijing seeks to position itself as a mediator, but its approach actually ignores Russian aggression and reflects a strategic partnership with Moscow that benefits China in its confrontation with the United States and the West.
