2023-05-15 (BEIJING): China’s top envoy, Li Hui, is embarking on a tour of Ukraine, Russia, and several European cities on Monday, May 15, to discuss a “political settlement” to the Ukraine crisis. Li, China’s special representative for Eurasian affairs and former ambassador to Russia, will also visit Poland, France, and Germany during his multi-day trip. The visit is a testament to China’s efforts to promote peace talks and demonstrates China’s firm commitment to peace, according to foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin. Li’s visit coincides with Ukraine’s anticipated counteroffensive to recapture territory seized by Russia and is his first visit to Ukraine since Russia invaded in February 2022. Two sources familiar with the matter revealed that Ukraine will be Li’s first stop.
In late April, Chinese President Xi Jinping held a phone call with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in the first talks between the two leaders since the war began. Zelenskyy described the call as “long and meaningful” on Twitter, while Xi said China would focus on promoting peace, although Beijing’s proposals to end the conflict have been met with skepticism in the West given its ties with Russia.
Several European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, have urged Xi to speak with Zelenskyy and play a more active role in restraining Moscow’s actions during a string of visits to the Chinese capital from March onwards.
Since February, China has promoted a 12-point proposal for a political settlement of the Ukraine crisis. But the plan was largely a reiteration of China’s previous lines on the war, urging both sides to agree to a gradual de-escalation and warning against the use of nuclear weapons.
Throughout the war, China refrained from condemning its strategic ally Moscow or referring to its actions as an “invasion”, leading to criticism from European countries and the United States, which have questioned China’s credibility as a potential broker in the conflict. Li’s message during his tour will be carefully scrutinized, given the unease among Western nations over Xi’s meeting with his “dear friend” Russian President Vladimir Putin in March and the two countries’ commitment to a “no limits” partnership less than three weeks before the invasion, which Moscow called a “special military operation”.
