Chinese leader Xi Jinping called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday, their first conversation since the Russian invasion more than a year ago, as Beijing seeks to portray itself as a potential peacemaker in the conflict.
China’s foreign ministry said in a statement posted on its website that it would send a special representative for Eurasian affairs to Ukraine and other countries “for in-depth communication with all parties on the political settlement of the Ukrainian crisis”.
The news was confirmed on Twitter by Mr Zelensky, who said he had “a long and meaningful phone call” with the Chinese leader. encouragement for the development of our bilateral relations,” he wrote. Mr. Zelensky’s spokesman, Serhiy Nykiforov, said the leaders spoke for about an hour.
“Now that the number of rational views and voices is on the rise, all parties should seize the opportunity to accumulate conditions conducive to a political solution to the crisis,” Mr. Xi told Mr. Zelensky, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s conversation. “We hope that all parties will deeply consider the crisis in Ukraine and through dialogue find a common path for the long-term stability of Europe.”
The call followed Xi’s three-day visit to Russia last month, where he and Russian President Vladimir Putin deepened their countries’ political and economic ties as well as their longstanding personal friendship in their 40th meeting as leaders.
Mr Putin praised China’s peace initiative, saying after his meetings with Mr Xi that many parts of it were “in line with the Russian point of view”.
China’s initiative, outlined in a 12-point position paper, has been largely rejected by the US and Europe, with officials saying China heavily supports Russia’s position. Beijing has accused the US of fueling the conflict by providing arms to Ukraine and rejecting Chinese efforts for a solution.
Ukrainian officials have been cautious in welcoming the first point of China’s initiative, which calls for all countries to uphold sovereignty and territorial integrity, but does not touch on the rest.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba stressed Ukraine’s own peace proposal during a telephone call with his Chinese counterpart Qin Gang last month. That plan includes demands for the restoration of Ukraine’s borders and the removal of all Russian troops – points not made in China’s position paper.
Some of China’s other points, such as the view that any country’s security efforts should not come at the expense of its neighbors and criticism of reliance on security blocs, echo the Kremlin’s arguments for invading Ukraine. The position paper also criticizes unilateral sanctions, which have been used by the US, Europe and other countries to punish Russia for the aggression.
China’s effort to position itself as a mediator in Ukraine was boosted by its success last month between Iran and Saudi Arabia to resume diplomatic ties after seven years of isolation.
A settlement in Ukraine appears far more elusive. Some analysts have described China’s Ukraine proposal as a cover for deepening its ties with Russia. Messrs Xi and Putin declared their countries had a “friendship without borders” shortly before launching the Ukraine war last year. Last month in Moscow, they signed 10 agreements on economic ties until 2030.
Xi’s efforts on Ukraine are likely to find greater support in the developing world, where views on the war are more mixed and tolerance of Russia’s actions more widespread than in the West.
Mr. Zelensky said in March that he looked forward to meeting Mr. Xi. China has not publicly responded to that proposal, and Wednesday’s statement from China’s foreign ministry did not mention any such plans.