The development of the Ukrainian crisis to this point today has a profound historical background and complex practical reasons, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang said on Thursday. 

He stressed that all complex crises need to be negotiated, and the only way to resolve complicated conflicts is through political settlement.

Qin made the remarks when exchanging views on current international and regional issues on the sidelines of the 4th China-Central Asia Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Xi'an, in the northwestern province of Shaanxi. 

In his remarks, he elaborated on China's position on the Ukraine crisis, saying Chinese President Xi Jinping's phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday is an important step taken by China to promote a political solution to the crisis in Ukraine, once again reflecting China's consistent position of urging peace talks. 

China and the Central Asian countries share similar views and positions on the Ukraine crisis, and China is ready to work together with all international parties, including the Central Asian countries, to promote the largest possible consensus for the resolution of the Ukraine crisis, Qin added.

(Cover image: Smoke rises from a building in Bakhmut, the site of the heaviest battles between Ukrainian and Russian troops in the Donetsk region, April 26, 2023. /CFP)