China calls for cease-fire in Russia-Ukraine war

Chinese President Xi Jinping during an event in Beijing earlier this month. Photo: Li Xueren/Xinhua via Getty Images

China's government called for a cease-fire between Russia and Ukraine and for the start of peace talks to end the yearlong war.

Driving the news: The Chinese Foreign Ministry made the call in a 12-point plan issued on Friday morning local time.

Thought bubble: Beijing's actions on the first anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine demonstrate the growing role China's leaders wish to play on the global stage, as its government seeks to take a leading role in one of the most high-profile crises in the world right now — and to bolster its own geopolitical interests by doing so.

Between the lines: The Chinese government's proposal takes a clear anti-Western position, calling for the end of Western-led sanctions, which Beijing has long opposed. But it also implicitly criticizes some of the Russian army's tactics, such as blocking grain exports from Ukraine and endangering nuclear plants.

• Given Beijing's close relationship with Moscow and tense relationship with the West, it's hard to imagine that China's leaders would try to push any real concessions on Putin. That means Western leaders are likely to be skeptical of Beijing's efforts to broker a peace.

Worth noting: Chinese officials abstained again in a United Nations General Assembly vote on Thursday that demanded Putin's forces withdraw from Ukraine.

Go deeper: A year after Ukraine invasion, Russia's reliance on China deepens

Editor's note: This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

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