China always stands on the side of peace and talks on the Ukraine issue, senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi on Saturday said during a meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference (MSC) in Germany.

China is not willing to see a protracted and expanded Ukraine crisis and stands ready to work with the international community to prevent the situation from worsening and keep fighting for peace, said Wang, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, according to a read-out of the meeting released by the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

On his part, Kuleba noted that Ukraine and China have been in communication over the past year.

No country wants to realize peace as sooner as possible than Ukraine, he said.

The Ukrainian side values China's international status and influence, and its position on political solutions to the crisis, said Kuleba, adding that he hopes China can continue to play a constructive role.

When delivering a keynote speech at the MSC, Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, said China is going to release a position paper on political solutions to the Ukraine crisis on the upcoming first anniversary of the Ukraine crisis.

On China-Ukraine ties

During the talks with Kuleba, the senior Chinese official said he hopes that China-Ukraine relations can continue to develop steadily.

Noting that China and Ukraine are strategic partners, Wang said there is a long history of friendly exchanges between the two peoples.

The Chinese side appreciates Ukraine's adherence to the one-China principle, he said.

Wang also thanked the assistance from the Ukrainian side with China's evacuation of its citizens when the conflict first broke out last February.