Kiev and Moscow briefly held peace talks shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, but the talks collapsed over a range of key issues.
Kuleba and Wang met in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou on the first official visit by a Kyiv diplomat to the country since the Ukrainian war erupted in February 2022.
“China believes that the resolution of all disputes should ultimately start with returning to the negotiating table, and the resolution of all disputes must be achieved through political means,” Wang said.
“Recently, Russia and Ukraine have shown, to varying degrees, a willingness to negotiate. Although the conditions and timing are not yet ripe, we support all efforts that contribute to peace.”
Wang said China would continue to send humanitarian aid to Ukraine and hoped Kyiv would take “effective measures” to safeguard the safety of Chinese personnel and institutions in Ukraine.
The two sides also agreed to strengthen political trust and invigorate economic cooperation in various fields.
The meeting lasted more than three hours, according to the BBC.
China has positioned itself as a peace negotiator for Ukraine since Russia’s invasion of the country, proposing a 12-point position statement and a six-point agreement to Brazil in May, calling for negotiations that would ultimately lead to a ceasefire.
But Beijing’s proposal, which does not call for Russia to withdraw from Ukraine, was seen as a major departure from a Western-backed 10-point peace plan put forward by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The possibility that former President Donald Trump would return to the White House and withdraw financial aid to Ukraine overshadowed a NATO summit this year, where Zelenskiy called on Western nations to continue supporting the war-torn country.
The war, which has been raging for almost two and a half years, has seen Moscow make slow advances while Kiev has been forced to retreat in eastern Ukraine due to delays in aid from Western countries that are deeply divided over aid for Ukraine.
In an interview with the BBC last week, Mr Zelensky indicated he was open to negotiations with Russia, including direct talks with President Vladimir Putin, something he had long refused to do.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday he wanted to see “some concrete actions” from Ukraine, adding that it was unclear “what was behind” Zelenskiy’s comments.
