China is not only skipping the Peace Summit for Ukraine this weekend, but is also lobbying governments in favor of its alternative plan for ending the war in Ukraine. Reuters writes about this with reference to 10 diplomats, UNN reports .
According to diplomats from Beijing, in conversations with representatives of developing countries, China did not criticize the summit in Switzerland and did not ask countries to refrain from participating. But one of the diplomats said that Beijing told the countries that the meeting would prolong the war.
Two other diplomats said that China is telling Western countries that many states share its views on the conference.
According to the diplomats, on the eve of the summit, China stepped up its outreach efforts, holding meetings with high-ranking foreign guests, making phone calls and sending messages to foreign missions on the Chinese platform WeChat.
Beijing's special envoy for Eurasian affairs, Li Hui, visited Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates last month and met with officials from developing countries at their embassies in Beijing, diplomats said.
One diplomat called Beijing's campaign a "subtle boycott" of the global meeting in Switzerland.
According to Reuters, in explaining why it will not participate in the summit, China is trying to involve developing countries in the six-point peace plan it developed with Brazil last month.
The proposal calls for an international peace conference "at an appropriate time, recognized by both Russia and Ukraine, with equal participation of all parties, and a fair discussion of all peace plans.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov suggested that China could organize such a conference. Putin expressed support for China's plan for a peaceful resolution of the crisis, saying that Beijing fully understands what is behind it.
Reuters was unable to ascertain the impact of China's lobbying, but the number of registered participants in the Lucerne summit was down from 107, which the Office of the President of Ukraine confirmed in early June.
In Asia, US allies the Philippines and Japan, as well as Thailand, Singapore, and East Timor, confirmed their participation. Malaysia said it would abstain, as did Cambodia, which has close economic ties with China. Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen denies that Beijing is pressuring him not to attend the conference.
Indonesia will send its ambassador to Bern. Vietnam has not yet decided on its position.