Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has met his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Thursday's meeting was their first in-person encounter since Russia invaded Ukraine.

China's foreign ministry said that Wang told Kuleba of China's principle on the Ukrainian situation. Wang noted that "sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries must be respected" and "all efforts that are conducive to a peaceful settlement must be supported."

Wang also said that each country's security concerns should be respected, a likely reference to Russia's opposition to the expansion of NATO.

Kuleba wrote on his Twitter account that Wang "reaffirmed China's respect for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity."

He noted that China's "rejection of the use of force as a means of resolving differences" was also reaffirmed.