China emphasized today the necessity for extensive groundwork before the Ukraine peace conference, slated to be held in Switzerland. This statement follows German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's assertion that Beijing had committed to backing the summit, as per AFP reports.

Lin Jian, a spokesperson for China's foreign ministry, remarked, "As far as we understand, the relevant meeting is still in preparation and there is a lot of work to be done."

Last week, the Swiss government disclosed its intention to host a high-level Ukraine peace conference in mid-June, specifying that Russia would not be present.

After discussions between Scholz and President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Tuesday, the German chancellor indicated that he and the Chinese leader had concurred to "intensely and positively coordinate" the conference.

However, China's stance today underscored Xi's endorsement of a timely international peace conference, to be acknowledged by both Russia and Ukraine, with equal participation from all nations.

"China believes that any conflict should ultimately be resolved through diplomatic channels and political negotiations," Lin added.