Britain would ‘welcome’ intervention by China to bring peace in

The foreign secretary has said he would “welcome” any intervention by China that could help bring the war between Russia and Ukraine to an end.

James Cleverly said he did not think the West should be a “dog in a manger” about how a potential settlement was reached, and that “we know that Xi [Jinping] enjoys a significant degree of influence with Vladimir Putin”.

The foreign secretary was speaking while on a visit to the US where he stressed the need for the two allies to maintain their support for Ukraine.

China has sought to adopt a neutral stance in the against Ukraine and its president, Xi Jinping, is thought to be on good terms with Mr Putin, paying him a three-day visit in Moscow in March.

Mr Cleverly’s words are likely to be met with disapproval by some – including by former prime minister Liz Truss, who urged the West to “get real” about the threat posed by China in a recent speech at a US thinktank.

She specifically singled out a recent visit French President Emmanuel Macron made to Beijing as an example, branding it a “sign of weakness”.

Russia faces ‘imminent defeat’ – as forces resort to ‘using washing machine parts’ in weapons – politics latest

But the foreign secretary said Britain would not be critical if Mr Xi, the Chinese President, chose to use his “significant degree of influence” with Mr Putin to bring about a “just and sustainable” peace settlement.

“I would welcome the intervention that brought this war to a just and sustainable conclusion from wherever it came,” Mr Cleverly said.