China to send special envoy to Ukraine, Russia from Monday

China will send a special envoy to Ukraine, Russia and other European nations from Monday to discuss a “political settlement” to the war in Ukraine, Beijing announced on Friday as it continues to project itself as a mediator in global conflict dynamics.

“From May 15, Ambassador Li Hui, special representative of the Chinese government for Eurasian Affairs, will visit Ukraine, Poland, France, Germany and Russia to communicate with all parties on the political settlement of the Ukrainian crisis,” Wang Wenbin, foreign ministry spokesperson, said at the regular ministry press conference in Beijing on Friday.

Li, a fluent Russian speaker who spent 10 years as China’s ambassador to Russia, has been Beijing’s Eurasian Affairs’ special envoy since 2019.

Li’s visit will take place days after Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang’s visit to Europe this week where he held meetings with counterparts from Germany, France and Norway.

The situation in Ukraine would have likely been the top agenda during Qin’s talks as well.

China has adhered to an “objective and fair” position, persuaded peace and promoted talks since the outbreak of the “Ukraine crisis”, Wang said, announcing Li’s visit and continuing with China’s decision not to call the war a Russian invasion.

Beijing has not only refused to describe Moscow’s unprovoked attack on Ukraine as an invasion, it has also blamed the US and Nato for provoking Moscow.

Wang added that the situation in Ukraine is still escalating, and “spillover effects” are continuing to appear.

Liu’s visit to Ukraine comes two weeks after President Xi Jinping spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in late April, more than a year after ally Moscow invaded the eastern European country.

China’s foreign ministry quoted Xi as telling Zelensky that “mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity is the political basis of China-Ukrainian relations.”

Xi also reiterated Beijing’s point that China’s “core position” on the Ukraine conflict is to “promote peace and talks.”

The phone call came a month after Xi visited Russia and called President Vladimir Putin as his “dear friend”.

In February, China had released a 12-point peace proposal to end the war in Ukraine, a peace plan that many observers had called vague.