Washington is encouraging Beijing to participate in the Global Peace Summit on Ukraine, scheduled for mid-June in Switzerland, according to Reuters.
A spokesperson for the US State Department, speaking to reporters during a briefing, stated that Washington believes China's presence at the event would be beneficial.
"We certainly would encourage China to participate in that summit. They've attended previous versions of the summit. We thought their presence was helpful. We think their presence would be helpful here," the official said.
This call comes amid China's previous statements indicating its reluctance to participate in the planned event in Switzerland, citing the absence of an invitation for Russia.
The State Department representative also noted that China should take action against companies that Washington claims are aiding the defense-industrial base of Russia.
The spokesperson added that this would be even more helpful.
Peace Summit and China's position
On June 15-16, the city of Bürgenstock will host the first Global Peace Summit, initiated by the joint efforts of Ukraine and Switzerland, aimed at finding a peaceful resolution to the Russian war and preventing future military aggression.
As of now, 107 countries and international organizations have confirmed their participation in the event.
Earlier, China announced it would not participate in the peace summit due to Russia's absence. In response, Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the participation of a high-level Chinese representative in the peace summit could be a good opportunity to make a practical contribution to achieving peace in Ukraine.
Additionally, it was reported that on June 5, political consultations between Ukraine and China took place in Beijing at the deputy foreign ministers' level. Among the topics discussed was the upcoming Global Peace Summit in Switzerland.
Furthermore, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg recently criticized Beijing for boycotting the event.
