Xi Jinping, Zelensky seek international peace envoy role in phone call

Also read: Exhausted soldiers and out of ammunition: Leaked documents paint a bleak picture for Ukraine

Xi has a closer relationship with Putin: Xi had a brief conversation with Putin before Russia invaded Ukraine. At the time he said the partnership with Russia remained unlimited. After the war broke out, Xi Jinping and Putin had five phone calls, two of which were face-to-face talks. Meanwhile, Zelensky has not heard from Xi at all, even though the two countries have maintained diplomatic relations for more than 30 years.

Why Xi Jinping is calling Zelensky now is open to speculation. For example, one analyst believes that Xi may have received a signal from Putin that the time is right for Russia to negotiate. That seemed to contradict the lukewarm and slightly dismissive tone of Russia’s response to the call.

Xi may also be responding to unrest in many European capitals over a statement by Chinese ambassador Lu Shaye earlier this week. He said there was no effective international agreement to support the independence of former Soviet republics, including Ukraine. Beijing distanced itself from Lu’s statement.

His remarks come as EU countries are considering a new China policy. Perhaps it was a personal blunder, but it raised concerns among European countries that Lew had exposed some of the truth behind Beijing’s shady scenes.

mistrust in europe

Still, the ruling fueled mistrust of China in Europe. Is China really neutral in the war with Ukraine, as Beijing itself claims? Or is China actually working with Russia to create a new authoritarian world order?

China is currently putting a lot of effort into trying to separate Europe from the US and convince Europe of Chinese goodwill. Xi Jinping’s phone call just now may be to repair the damage caused by Ambassador Lu.

Some analysts believe that China is now eager to end the war, otherwise the world economy will struggle to recover. The Chinese economy is also suffering.

failed mediation attempt

China’s official newspaper Global Times Let Chinese experts speak Emphasize that mediation efforts by other countries have failed, but that China can now be a reliable and influential mediator in conflicts. They also link it to China’s broader role as an international peacemaker, a role increasingly emphasized by China’s Xi Jinping.

China’s foreign ministry announced on Wednesday that China plans to send a senior envoy to Ukraine and other countries in the region to “establish in-depth communication with all parties to reach a political solution to the war”. Li Hui, Special Representative for Eurasian Affairs, Chinese Ambassador to Russia from 2009 to 2019. In any case, this means that China’s diplomatic involvement in the war will deepen.

It is doubtful whether China’s more active mediation will actually lead to direct talks between Russia and Ukraine. So far, the basic conditions for such a dialogue are completely missing. Ukraine will only negotiate on the condition that Russia recognizes the now-occupied territories and that Crimea also belongs to Ukraine. This is unacceptable to Russia. China has not given any indication of how Beijing thinks it can address the issue.

Correction on April 27, 2023: The previous edition of this article incorrectly stated that China’s mediation could lead to Sino-Russian negotiations, which has been corrected above.