Opinion | Xi: world leaders must help Russia and Ukraine resume direct dialogue
By Augustus K. Yeung
Washington is sending shock waves to the world out there: President Xi Jinping in China feels the tremor and shares his feelings with Victor Orban, the Prime Minister of Hungary who's currently visiting Beijing for talks before heading to the U.S.
What has Orban in mind? As the chair for the European Union this year, Orban is harping on Xi's 6-point peace plan, putting an end to the Russia-Ukraine war which is now expected to hurt Europe economically – if it continues to be misguided by Biden, who is currently fighting a war of his own with an enemy within.
Whoever wins the U.S. presidential election this November wins the right to dictate the destiny of Ukraine, whose resources are being depleted and destiny doomed.
Imagine two European boxers fighting on the stage in Madison Square, New York, and the real winner is certainly the Americans – who wage heavily on one against the other contestant, Putin versus Zelensky.
And the loser is? Either Putin or Zelensky, or both.
Russia is gaining the upper hand, and Ukraine is apparently taking a good beating. In fact, both Russia and Ukraine are suffering in all aspects.
Here in Macau, we can see young Russian girls working as "ladies of the night." Amy, as she tells me, is only eighteen years old. I met her in a restaurant where customers gathered for desserts after meals. She told me that she was harassed by a man after she had worked night shift.
Then there was this young Ukrainian girl working at the City of Dream, welcoming guests. She may be smiling but was she happy? No one enjoys being away from home and the motherland.
And there were the three young Russian men living in a Macau motel in which they were doing bitcoin business in trading, leaving their families in Thailand.
The last time I saw the Russians was in Guangzhou in 1957; they were about to leave China as technicians whose relationship with Russia went sour as the USSR had an argument with China's Chairman Mao on ideological grounds.
Sixty years have gone by. The boy who had witnessed all these scenes of sadness has grown up and turned old. He lives to see the rise of modern China. But not the Western world!
In about half a century, China has gone from being totally isolated by a hegemonic America to be a mediator, now calling on the world's great powers to lay down their arms and stretch out their hands for peace.
Sitting on my desk are two sets of newspapers, one in Chinese and the other in English, both showing a smiling Chinese leader Xi Jinping shaking hands with Viktor Orban, Prime Minister of Hungary, who is here for a visit before going to Washington.
"Chinese: President Xi Jinping called on world powers to help Russia and Ukraine resume direct dialogue during a meeting yesterday (Monday, July 8) with Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban, the state broadcaster reported."
The Chinese-language newspaper quoted Xi as saying, "There's no conflict of interest between China and EU."
Xi pointed out that two months ago, he was in Budapest upgrading ties between China and Hungary…He told Orban that China would be holding an important meeting, about to announce to the outside world that the nation is preparing to open up one giant step further, pushing forward high-quality development…which would be of great significance to their bilateral ties, bringing forth new opportunities, injecting new momentum…"
"Both sides must, therefore, maintain high-level contact, deepen mutual trust, and intimately work together, taking the Belt and Road Initiative to a new height…" Xi continued.
"There is no geopolitical contradiction and no conflict of interests. China and European relations can mean strategic significance to the world. Therefore, the two should keep its healthy development, especially when it is going to be the 50th anniversary of bilateral ties next year..."
Orban replied, "Mr. President came to Hungary two months ago, and we deepened our relations and ties to an all-weather strategic level. And the foundation for our countries has since been firmly established… We realize that China is a peace-loving country in a politically turbulent world. Furthermore, it has spoken out for the resolution of peace in Ukraine by offering important suggestions. We Hungarians highly appreciate these gestures and suggestions and hope to cooperate with China to oppose small clique-building."
Xi nodded approvingly as Orban continued," We are now a chair in turn in the EU and hope to help China improve its relations with EU, and to work together with China to resolve the Russia-Ukraine conflict…"
Xi earnestly replied, "The harder we seek common grounds to end the war, the sooner the war comes to an end. This is to all parties' interest. The point now is to observe the following three principles: to keep the battleground to where the war is; keep the conflict in check without levelling up; and guarantee all sides do not fuel the war…"
The Chinese president also said that China and Hungary share the same principle of containing and stopping the war in Ukraine, telling the world that China welcomes Hungary and the rest of the world to keep communicating to end the war.
Note: Before meeting President Xi Jinping, Orban went to Moscow and held a meeting with Putin. And so, his visit to Beijing is seen as a continuation of their joint peace efforts to putting an end to the Russia-Ukraine war.
The question now remains: would Washington share the position of Xi and Orban? If Trump wins the presidential election, he will end the war – in favor of Russia.
But if Biden wins, he will want to insist on fighting Putin's Russia depleting their resources and weakening Putin, the "pariah".
This is Biden's conspiracy, which is to keep Europe dependent on the U.S., enabling him to lead the EU and possibly Asia-Pacific later.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of DotDotNews.
To contact the writer, please direct email:AugustusKYeung@ymail.com
Read more articles by Augustus K. Yeung:
Opinion | Leader of Poland visits China – What's on the radar
Opinion | Is China on the right side of history
Opinion | Through China's widebody C929 jet development world can share its grand vision
Opinion | Why must Marcos be as mad as a red bull?
Comment