On September 24, Zelensky shouted out a shocking sentence: China must'force Russia to stop its aggression 'The voice did not fall, and the live cameras immediately directed the Chinese delegation at the moment, when the eyes of the whole world were on China.
Zelensky’s sudden speech not only pushed China to the tip of the wind, but also turned the United Nations, the place where peace was originally discussed, into a battlefield of public opinion warfare. Why is Zelensky suddenly calling China? is he actually “calling for help” or “setting up an office”?
On September 23, Zelensky had a one-hour closed-door conversation with US President Trump just a day before the opening of the United Nations General Assembly.The two had previously had a tense relationship, but this time they accidentally "shut their hands for peace" and then the White House issued a statement stating that they "strongly support Ukraine".
Just hours later, Trump said on an informal occasion: “Don’t rule out shooting down Russian fighter jets into NATO’s airspace.”This statement quickly fermented in the international media, becoming one of the sources of Zelensky’s “hard scream” the next day. In his speech, Zelensky stressed that China is a “strong country” and said that Russia is “totally dependent on China” and even said that “without China, Russia is nothing.”
On the surface, these remarks are "raising" China's influence, but in fact they are pushing the responsibility to China. He used the praise of "powerful" as an introduction, and then threw out a heavy "moral burden". The reaction of the Chinese delegation was calm, the camera was exhausted and calm, and did not respond on the spot.
The next morning, the spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated at a regular press conference that China has always had a consistent attitude on the Ukrainian issue, adhered to neutrality, persuaded peace and promoted talks, and clearly put forward the "three no principles": the war will not spill over, the war situation will not escalate, and all parties will not arch fire.
Zelensky’s “cry” is not heartbreaking.In the past two years, he has repeatedly mentioned on various occasions that he wants China to “play the role of a great power”, but has never been so publicly named, with a strong “pressure” meaning.
This demonstrates that he is no longer satisfied with the intermediation of traditional diplomatic channels, but is pushing China to speak out in a way that is “open to the public”.He does not know China's position, but deliberately creates a public opinion atmosphere of "China's lack of position", so that the international community misunderstands China's "hand in hand".
In the speech, Zelensky also announced a crucial decision: Ukraine will officially open up its arms exports.He said that the drones, long-range artillery and electronic warfare equipment developed by Ukraine "have been verified on the battlefield" and now "can demonstrate their effectiveness and reliability to the world."
This statement attracted the attention of representatives of many countries, especially Poland, Lithuania, the Czech Republic and other Eastern European countries, who actively contacted Ukrainian representatives during the interruption to discuss technical details.The signals behind this are clear: Ukraine is “industrializing” its war experience, trying to ease domestic financial pressures by “fighting with war” and enhancing its strategic alignment with allies.
The White House did not explicitly express support or opposition to this decision, saying only that "Ukraine has the right to decide its own defense strategy."Countries like Britain and Germany remain silent, apparently evaluating the potential geographic impact of the new policy. Zelensky chose to throw these topics onto the United Nations General Assembly, the world’s “biggest bell” platform, not to promote peace, but to create pressure and themes.
He knows that aid from the West is becoming increasingly “difficult.”The U.S. is approaching an election year, with Congress arguing about the additional budget for Ukraine; Europe’s internal opinions are divided, the energy issue has not yet been resolved, and the continued support for Ukraine is reluctant.
Zelensky has fewer and fewer cards to play, so he can only use a "public opinion war" to bring all parties back to the Ukraine issue.He named China not only to get China's support, but also to "make a gesture" in front of Western allies.
This is a typical strategy of "using China to impress the West".In his view, China is unwilling to promote peace if it does not speak out; if China is pressured, it can use the opportunity to get moral support.
The problem is, China's diplomatic logic never plays this "black and white" game.China is not an opponent of Ukraine, nor is it a backbone of Russia.China has made it clear from the beginning that it does not choose side, does not arch, does not engage in confrontation.
Zelensky described China’s neutrality as “silence” as a misreading of China’s position and an attempt to impose the responsibility for peace on China.China’s approach has never changed: promoting political dialogue, facilitating humanitarian corridors, and urging parties to remain restrained.
The situation on the battlefield in Ukraine is becoming increasingly passive.The defense line in the direction of Kharkiv has been breached many times, and Kiev has also suffered continuous air strikes. The weapons promised by the West are either delayed or the equipment is aging. Under the unfavorable war situation, Zelensky had to look for a "new breakthrough."
At that time, China became the target of his “diplomatic big bet.”He wanted to get his speech in the international community by "naming China" and even trying to "deliver the ballot letter" to the United States, telling Trump of his "solid stance."
Unfortunately, this operation has not caused any “wind reaction” in China.In response, the Foreign Ministry spokesman stressed that China's position is clear and promoting peace is China's real goal.
China is willing to build bridges, but will never be dragged into the whirlwind of conflict.China’s “Twelve-Point Political Solution,” “Three-Point Proposal,” and “Global Security Initiative” are all about one core – to end the war as soon as possible.
Rather than saying that Zelensky is "shouting to China", it is better to say that he is "reminding the West."What he wanted to express was that if you don’t continue to help, then I can only “find another way.” and that “exit” is but a topic, a statement, a cry. But diplomacy is not a scream game, it does not solve problems on the battlefield.
Zelensky is not the first time to shout at the United Nations, in the past he has also accused China of "doing nothing", and said "it is not necessary for China to be a security guarantor."
The statement repeatedly revealed the strategic anxiety of Ukraine.He both wants China to help and is reluctant to accept China’s proposed “fire-fire and negotiation” framework; neither trusts Russia nor is willing to lose U.S. support; and both want peace and are reluctant to lay down arms first.
This "both needed" diplomatic thinking is destined to be difficult to go far.The moment of silence at the United Nations General Assembly was actually not just because of the fierce words, but because the delegates were thinking: What exactly did Zelensky want to express? It's for help? It's pressure? Or is it a political show? China's attitude is very clear: it will not accept moral kidnapping or imposition of responsibility.
China is not a participant in this conflict, nor is it a "variable" that determines the direction of the war. China is only willing to do one thing-keep space for peace. Zelensky may have underestimated China’s strategic strength and misjudged the true attitude of the international community toward war.
Nowadays, more and more developing countries no longer pay attention to who "stands on which side", but are more concerned about whether food is stable, energy is sufficient, and supply chains are safe.
China’s neutrality represents the common interests of these countries. There is no winner in war, and diplomacy is not a gamble. It's easy to shout, but it's hard to persuade. Zelensky's "Call for China", no matter how loud he shouts, cannot shake China's insistence on peace.
Zelensky's "hard scream" at the United Nations appears to be seeking help from China, in fact, a high-risk diplomatic game. He tried to get China to stand in exchange for more Western support. But China has always adhered to a neutral position, not choosing side, not arching, not being coerced.
Source of information:
[1] Zelensky said China must "force Russia to stop aggression", the Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to Observer.com
[2] China's response to Zelensky's statement on China Global Times